Long-term health outcomes in severe sepsis survivors treated with APC
Author Information
Author(s): Christopher J Longo, Daren K Heyland, Harold N Fisher, Robert A Fowler, Claudio M Martin, Andrew G Day
Primary Institution: McMaster University
Hypothesis
Does recombinant human activated protein C (APC) improve long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and resource utilization in survivors of severe sepsis compared to standard care?
Conclusion
APC-treated patients showed better long-term HRQoL and shorter hospital stays compared to those receiving standard care.
Supporting Evidence
- APC-treated patients had better physical component scores (P = 0.04).
- Shorter hospital stays were observed for APC patients (36 days vs 48 days; P = 0.05).
- Trends toward better outcomes in physical functioning (P = 0.12) and role physical (P = 0.10) were noted.
Takeaway
This study found that patients who received a special treatment called APC after severe sepsis felt better and spent less time in the hospital than those who didn't get the treatment.
Methodology
Observational cohort study at nine Canadian ICUs, comparing patients treated with APC to those receiving standard care.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to nonrandomized design and differences in patient demographics.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was observational, which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Patients included 36 treated with APC and 64 receiving standard care, with a mean age of 54.7 years for APC and 62.6 years for standard care.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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