title: Early sepsis treatment with immunoglobulins after cardiac surgery in score-identified high-risk patients.
abstract: In patients at risk for sepsis after cardiac surgery, the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (Ig) treatment was compared with a historical control population, equivalent in patient characteristics and disease severity. Using APACHE II scores, especially in the high-risk group (IgG), we could discriminate between low-risk patients (score < 19; mortality 1 percent) and the small groups at risk (score 19 to 23) and high risk (score > or = 24) with a significantly higher mortality (14 percent and 76 percent, respectively) [corrected]. Subsequently, among 1,341 consecutive patients we prospectively identified and treated (IgG n = 41 IgGMA: n = 25) these at-risk groups. In contrast to controls (risk: n = 21; high-risk; n = 21), we found a marked fall in APACHE II scores, especially in the high-risk group (IgG, n = 26: p < 0.05; IgGMA, n = 13: p = 0.08) [corrected]. In this group, Ig therapy produced higher (p < 0.05) response rates (score decrease 7 within 4 days: IgG: 54 percent, IgGMA: 62 percent; controls: 19 percent) and reduced mortality (IgG: 46 percent, IgGMA: 46 percent; controls: 76 percent), statistically significant (p < 0.05) for Ig treatment overall. Thus, early Ig treatment improves disease severity and may improve prognosis in prospectively score-identified high-risk postcardiac surgical patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Grosshadern University Hospital, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pilz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kreuzer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kääb
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Werdan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; C060166:pentaglobulin