A Correlation Analysis of Early Sepsis Recognition and Patient Prognosis: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Aims/Background Sepsis is a critical medical emergency with a significantly high mortality rate. This study aims to investigate the relationship between changes in early indicators and prognosis, exploring the link between early sepsis recognition and patient outcomes. Methods This retrospective analysis included clinical data from 183 sepsis patients admitted to the hospital between July 2021 and November 2024. Based on the recognition time, patients were divided into an early recognition group (within 6 hours after admission, n = 136) and a delayed recognition group (6 hours after admission, n = 47). The baseline characteristics, early recognition indicators, therapeutic measures, and prognostic outcomes were collected, and the relationship between these variables was analyzed using the logistic regression analysis. Results There were no significant differences between the early and delayed recognition groups regarding age, gender, immunity status, and the distribution of common underlying conditions (p > 0.05). However, the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were significantly higher in the delayed recognition group compared to the early recognition group (p < 0.05). The two groups showed significant differences in key indicators such as body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil ratio, procalcitonin (PCT), lactate, platelet count, and D-dimer levels (p < 0.05). The early recognition group received anti-infective treatment timely, had reasonable fluid resuscitation, a lower proportion of vasoactive drug usage, and reduced mechanical ventilation use (p < 0.05). The early recognition group had a shorter duration of hospitalization, good recovery of organ function at discharge, and significantly lower mortality and complication rates than the delayed recognition group (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that heart rate, respiratory rate, CRP, PCT, neutrophil ratio, lactate, D-dimer, and SOFA score ≥8 points were independent risk factors affecting prognosis (p < 0.05). Conclusion Early sepsis recognition, followed by prompt therapeutic measures, significantly improves patient prognosis, and relevant indicators help early sepsis identification and prognosis assessment.