title: Outcome of patients with autoimmune diseases in the intensive care unit: a mixed cluster analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The interest on autoimmune diseases (ADs) and their outcome at the intensive care unit (ICU) has increased due to the clinical challenge for diagnosis and management as well as for prognosis. The current work presents a-year experience on these topics in a tertiary hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mixed-cluster methodology based on multivariate descriptive methods such as principal component analysis and multiple correspondence analyses was performed to summarize sets of related variables with strong associations and common clinical context.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty adult patients with ADs with a mean age of 46.7±17.55 years were assessed. The two most common diagnoses were systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis, registered in 45% and 20% of patients, respectively. The main causes of admission to ICU were infection and AD flare up, observed in 36% and 24%, respectively. Mortality during ICU stay was 24%. The length of hospital stay before ICU admission, shock, vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, abdominal sepsis, Glasgow score and plasmapheresis were all factors associated with mortality. Two new clinical clusters variables (NCVs) were defined: Time ICU and ICU Support Profile, which were associated with survivor and no survivor variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identification of single factors and groups of factors from NCVs will allow implementation of early and aggressive therapies in patients with ADs at the ICU in order to avoid fatal outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Bogotá , Colombia ; Intensive Care Unit , Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernal-Macías
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Bogotá , Colombia ; Intensive Care Unit , Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reyes-Beltrán
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Molano-González
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit , Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Augusto Vega
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit , Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bichernall
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit , Macon Lung Center , Macon, Georgia , USA.
authors.forename: Luis Aurelio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Bogotá , Colombia ; Intensive Care Unit , Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojas-Villarraga
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Bogotá , Colombia ; Intensive Care Unit , Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anaya
keywords: Arthritis; Autoimmune Diseases; Outcomes research; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Systemic Sclerosis