Chemokine Levels in Children with Meningococcal Sepsis Predict Mortality and Severity
Author Information
Author(s): Vermont Clementien L, Hazelzet Jan A, de Kleijn Ester D, van den Dobbelsteen Germie PJM, Groot Ronald de
Primary Institution: Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital
Hypothesis
Can chemokine levels in children with meningococcal sepsis predict mortality and disease severity?
Conclusion
Chemokine levels in children with meningococcal sepsis can accurately predict mortality and correlate with disease severity.
Supporting Evidence
- High levels of chemokines were found in the blood of children with meningococcal sepsis.
- Chemokine levels were significantly higher in nonsurvivors compared to survivors.
- Cutoff values for chemokines had 100% sensitivity and 94-98% specificity for predicting nonsurvival.
- Chemokine levels correlated better with disease severity than TNF-α.
Takeaway
Doctors can check certain chemicals in the blood of sick children to see how serious their illness is and if they might survive.
Methodology
Chemokine levels were measured in children with meningococcal sepsis or septic shock on admission and 24 hours later.
Participant Demographics
Median age of participants was 4.0 years, with a range from 0.1 to 16.1 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 19.6–24.4
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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