title: The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and copeptin for predicting survival in ventilator-associated pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ventilator-associated pneumonia remains the most common nosocomial infection in the critically ill and contributes to significant morbidity. Eventual decisions regarding withdrawal or maximal therapy are demanding and rely on physicians' experience. Additional objective tools for risk assessment may improve medical judgement. Copeptin, reflecting vasopressin release, as well as the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, reflecting the individual degree of organ dysfunction, might qualify for survival prediction in ventilator-associated pneumonia. We investigated the predictive value of the SOFA score and copeptin in ventilator-associated pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred one patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia were prospectively assessed. Death within 28 days after ventilator-associated pneumonia onset was the primary end point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SOFA score and the copeptin levels at ventilator-associated pneumonia onset were significantly elevated in nonsurvivors (P = .002 and P = .017, respectively). Both markers had different time courses in survivors and nonsurvivors (P < .001 and P = .006). Mean SOFA (average SOFA of 10 days after VAP onset) was superior in predicting 28-day survival as compared with SOFA and copeptin at ventilator-associated pneumonia onset (area under the curve, 0.90 vs 0.73 and 0.67, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The predictive value of serial-measured SOFA significantly exceeds those of single SOFA and copeptin measurements. Serial SOFA scores accurately predict outcome in ventilator-associated pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pulmonary Medicine and Respiratory Cell Research, University Hospital, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boeck
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eggimann
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smyrnios
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pargger
authors.forename: Nehal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thakkar
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siegemund
authors.forename: Nils G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Morgenthaler
authors.forename: Janko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rakic
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.forename: Daiana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stolz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063305:Organ Dysfunction Scores; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006020:Glycopeptides; C048197:copeptins