Abstract

Introduction: Sepsis of abdominal origin represents a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU), it can represent an increase in it when associated with complications such as the development of septic shock and the requirement of a surgical intervention, adding to the poor nutritional status of the patient. Biochemical markers and objective indices can be used to evaluate the nutritional status of this type of pathology. In this study, the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) was used to associate the risk of mortality in this pathology.
General objective: To determine the association between the prognostic nutritional index and mortality in patients with abdominal sepsis in the intensive care unit.
Methodology: A retrospective, longitudinal analytical study was carried out in a second-level hospital of care of patients admitted to the ICU with the diagnosis of abdominal sepsis, determining the value of the prognostic nutritional index at different times, comparing it with the cut-off point reported in the literature (45 points) and associating it with the risk of mortality.
Results: A total of 195 patients who met the inclusion criteria were obtained, 61% were male, at an average age of 45 years, the main cause of abdominal sepsis was peritonitis due to intestinal perforation and 59.5% of the patients developed septic shock. A cut-off value of the prognostic nutritional index was determined in patients with abdominal sepsis less than 30 before admission and at the time of admission and 72 hours, a value of 32 was identified to associate mortality risk with an OR of 3.16 (95% CI 1.48-6.76), 2.9 (95% CI 1.36-6.17) and 2.29 (95% CI 1.08-4.85) respectively. Mortality was 34 patients (17.4%) with a mean hospital stay of 5 days.
Conclusion: In the present study, it was found that PNI at admission under 30 and 72 hours under 32 hours is associated with a risk of mortality in patients with abdominal sepsis in the intensive care unit.

Keywords

Prognostic nutritional index