Patients with severe sepsis assigned to fluid resuscitation with HES 130/0.42 had an increased risk of death at day 90 and were more likely to require renal-replacement therapy, as compared with those receiving Ringer's acetate. (Funded by the Danish Research Council and others; 6S ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00962156.).

Among patients with septic shock, mortality at 90 days and rates of ischemic events and use of life support were similar among those assigned to blood transfusion at a higher hemoglobin threshold and those assigned to blood transfusion at a lower threshold; the latter group received fewer transfusions. (Funded by the Danish Strategic Research Council and others; TRISS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01485315.).

ObjeCtive To compare the benefit and harm of restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategies to guide red blood cell transfusions. DesignSystematic review with meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses of randomised clinical trials. Data sOurCesCochrane central register of controlled trials, SilverPlatter Medline (1950 to date), SilverPlatter Embase (1980 to date), and Science Citation Index Expanded (1900 to present). Reference lists of identified trials and other systematic reviews were assessed, and authors and experts in transfusion were contacted to identify additional trials.trial seleCtiOn Published and unpublished randomised clinical trials that evaluated a restrictive compared with a liberal transfusion strategy in adults or children, irrespective of language, blinding procedure, publication status, or sample size. Data extraCtiOnTwo authors independently screened titles and abstracts of trials identified, and relevant trials were evaluated in full text for eligibility. Two reviewers then independently extracted data on methods, interventions, outcomes, and risk of bias from included trials. random effects models were used to estimate risk ratios and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. results 31 trials totalling 9813 randomised patients were included. The proportion of patients receiving red blood cells (relative risk 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.47 to 0.63, 8923 patients, 24 trials) and the number of red blood cell units transfused (mean difference −1.43, 95% confidence interval −2.01 to −0.86) were lower with the restrictive compared with liberal transfusion strategies. Restrictive compared with liberal transfusion strategies were not associated with risk of death (0.86, 0.74 to 1.01, 5707 patients, nine lower risk of bias trials), overall morbidity (0.98, 0.85 to 1.12, 4517 patients, six lower risk of bias trials), or fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction (1.28, 0.66 to 2.49, 4730 patients, seven lower risk of bias trials). Results were not affected by the inclusion of trials with unclear or high risk of bias. Using trial sequential analyses on mortality and myocardial infarction, the required information size was not reached, but a 15% relative risk reduction or increase in overall morbidity with restrictive transfusion strategies could be excluded. COnClusiOnsCompared with liberal strategies, restrictive transfusion strategies were associated with a reduction in the number of red blood cell units transfused and number of patients being transfused, but mortality, overall morbidity, and myocardial infarction seemed to be unaltered. Restrictive transfusion strategies are safe in most clinical settings. Liberal transfusion strategies have not been shown to convey any benefit to patients. trial registratiOn PROSPERO CRD42013004272.

NCT02079402.

Objective To assess the effects of fluid therapy with hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.38-0.45 versus crystalloid or albumin on mortality, kidney injury, bleeding, and serious adverse events in patients with sepsis.Design Systematic review with meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses of randomised clinical trials.Data sources Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, Biosis Previews, Science Citation Index Expanded, CINAHL, Current Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Centerwatch to September 2012; hand search of reference lists and other systematic reviews; contact with authors and relevant pharmaceutical companies.Study selection Eligible trials were randomised clinical trials comparing hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.38-0.45 with either crystalloid or human albumin in patients with sepsis. Published and unpublished trials were included irrespective of language and predefined outcomes.Data extraction Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data on methods, interventions, outcomes, and risk of bias. Risk ratios and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were estimated with fixed and random effects models.

No abstract

IntroductionPatients with severe sepsis often present with concurrent coagulopathy, microcirculatory failure and evidence of vascular endothelial activation and damage. Given the critical role of the endothelium in balancing hemostasis, we investigated single-point associations between whole blood coagulopathy by thrombelastography (TEG) and plasma/serum markers of endothelial activation and damage in patients with severe sepsis.MethodsA post-hoc multicenter prospective observational study in a subgroup of 184 patients from the Scandinavian Starch for Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock (6S) Trial. Study patients were admitted to two Danish intensive care units. Inclusion criteria were severe sepsis, pre-intervention whole blood TEG measurement and a plasma/serum research sample available from baseline (pre-intervention) for analysis of endothelial-derived biomarkers. Endothelial-derived biomarkers were measured in plasma/serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (syndecan-1, thrombomodulin, protein C (PC), tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1). Pre-intervention TEG, functional fibrinogen (FF) and laboratory and clinical data, including mortality, were retrieved from the trial database.ResultsMost patients presented with septic shock (86%) and pulmonary (60%) or abdominal (30%) focus of infection. The median (IQR) age was 67 years (59 to 75), and 55% were males. The median SOFA and SAPS II scores were 8 (6 to 10) and 56 (41 to 68), respectively, with 7-, 28- and 90-day mortality rates being 21%, 39% and 53%, respectively. Pre-intervention (before treatment with different fluids), TEG reaction (R)-time, angle and maximum amplitude (MA) and FF MA all correlated with syndecan-1, thrombomodulin and PC levels. By multivariate linear regression analyses, higher syndecan-1 and lower PC were independently associated with TEG and FF hypocoagulability at the same time-point: 100 ng/ml higher syndecan-1 predicted 0.64 minutes higher R-time (SE 0.25), 1.78 mm lower TEG MA (SE 0.87) and 0.84 mm lower FF MA (SE 0.42; all P <0.05), and 10% lower protein C predicted 1.24 mm lower TEG MA (SE 0.31).ConclusionsIn our cohort of patients with severe sepsis, higher circulating levels of biomarkers of mainly endothelial damage were independently associated with hypocoagulability assessed by TEG and FF. Endothelial damage is intimately linked to coagulopathy in severe sepsis.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov number: NCT00962156. Registered 13 July 2009.

Background Most data on intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID‐19 originate in selected populations from stressed healthcare systems with shorter term follow‐up. We present characteristics, interventions and longer term outcomes of the entire, unselected cohort of all ICU patients with COVID‐19 in Denmark where the ICU capacity was not exceeded. Methods We identified all patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 admitted to any Danish ICU from 10 March to 19 May 2020 and registered demographics, chronic comorbidities, use of organ support, length of stay, and vital status from patient files. Risk factors for death were analyzed using adjusted Cox regression analysis. Results There were 323 ICU patients with confirmed COVID‐19. Median age was 68 years, 74% were men, 50% had hypertension, 21% diabetes, and 20% chronic pulmonary disease; 29% had no chronic comorbidity. Invasive mechanical ventilation was used in 82%, vasopressors in 83%, renal replacement therapy in 26%, and extra corporeal membrane oxygenation in 8%. ICU stay was median 13 days (IQR 6‐22) and hospital stay 19 days (11‐30). Median follow‐up was 79 days. At end of follow‐up, 118 had died (37%), 15 (4%) were still in hospital hereof 4 in ICU as of 16 June 2020. Risk factors for mortality included male gender, age, chronic pulmonary disease, active cancer, and number of co‐morbidities. Conclusions In this nationwide, population‐based cohort of ICU patients with COVID‐19, longer term survival was high despite high age and substantial use of organ support. Male gender, age, and chronic co‐morbidities, in particular chronic pulmonary disease, were associated with increased risk of death.