Identifying Risk Factors for Myocardial Injury in Elderly Patients with Sepsis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Critical Care Medicine
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Myocardial injury is a frequent and serious complication in elderly sepsis patients.
• Identifying risk factors is crucial for improving outcomes in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine clinical characteristics and independent risk factors for myocardial injury in elderly sepsis patients admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 160 elderly sepsis patients in the EICU.
• Comparison of demographic data, inflammatory markers, echocardiographic parameters, and blood urea nitrogen-to-albumin ratio (BAR).
• Logistic regression and ROC curve analysis were used to identify risk factors and assess BAR's predictive value.

Main Results:

• Myocardial injury occurred in 63.1% of patients, associated with lower ejection fraction (EF) and elevated procalcitonin, lactate, and BAR.
• Independent risk factors for myocardial injury included septic shock, elevated BAR, and elevated lactate levels.
• Increased EF was protective, while reduced EF indicated higher risk. BAR showed moderate predictive value (AUC=0.653).

Conclusions:

• Septic shock, reduced EF, and elevated BAR and lactate levels are significant independent risk factors for myocardial injury in elderly sepsis patients.
• BAR can function as an early indicator for myocardial injury, assisting in risk stratification and management within the EICU setting.