Deep-Dive Study Sheds New Light on Long-Term Outcomes of Sepsis
Our sources have recently reported on an extensive study that has taken a fresh look at the long-term consequences of sepsis, a severe infection often seen in the intensive care units (ICU). The study particularly focused on its links to dementia, mortality, and the presence of other diseases and further exploring the recovery process after severe Covid-19.
Looking into the Consequences of Sepsis
Using data and records from the Swedish Intensive Care Registry as well as other government databases, this research made an intriguing comparison of one-year survivors of ICU sepsis without any pre-existing dementia with non-sepsis ICU patients. While there were no increased risks of dementia noticed during the follow-up, the study did find that sepsis patients remained more susceptible to succumbing to death due to infectious causes, yet overall, there was no significant connection established between sepsis and long-term mortality.
Comorbidities and Their Role in Covid-19
The research didn’t stop at examining sepsis. It also delved into the impact of Covid-19 on the patients and identified several comorbidities and medications that are associated with higher chances of ICU admission and mortality. The research found similarities when comparing comorbidities as risk factors for mortality across different conditions, including Covid-19, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In the case of Covid-19, the age of patient appeared to have a more significant impact on mortality as compared to sepsis or ARDS.
Recovery Post Severe Covid-19
The recovery process of ICU patients post Covid-19 also came under the microscope in this study. It was found that these patients tend to have a significantly harder time in their recovery compared to those who were hospitalised with Covid-19 and matched population controls, and this discrepancy was deemed to be influenced by factors beyond just demographics and presence of other diseases.
Furthermore, the study used Mendelian randomization (MR), to determine the cause-effect relationship between circulating cytokines and sepsis in a two-sample study. One of the significant findings suggested that genetically predicted beta nerve growth factor increases the risk of sepsis, while RANTES and fibroblast growth factors serve to reduce the risk.
These new findings provide invaluable insights into not just the long-term effects of sepsis and the recovery process post severe Covid-19, but it also opens up new avenues for further research into the mechanisms that may contribute to sepsis risk.
