Association of Catecholamine Dose, Lactate, and Shock Duration at Vasopressin Initiation With Mortality in Patients With Septic Shock*

by Sacha, Gretchen L.; Lam, Simon W.; Wang, Lu; Duggal, Abhijit; Reddy, Anita J.; Bauer, Seth R. 

Critical Care Medicine: April 2022 - Volume 50 - Issue 4 - p 614-623

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of catecholamine dose, lactate concentration, and timing from shock onset at vasopressin initiation with in-hospital mortality.

DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study using segmented and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the associations of catecholamine dose, lactate concentration, and timing from shock onset at vasopressin initiation with in-hospital mortality.

SETTING: Multiple hospitals within the Cleveland Clinic Health System.

PATIENTS: Adult patients who met criteria for septic shock based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adult Sepsis Event definition.

INTERVENTIONS: All patients received continuous infusion vasopressin as an adjunct to catecholamine vasopressors.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In total, 1,610 patients were included with a mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III 109.0 ± 35.1 and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment 14.0 ± 3.5; 41% of patients survived the hospital admission. At the time of vasopressin initiation, patients had median (interquartile range) lactate concentration 3.9 mmol/L (2.3–7.2 mmol/L), norepinephrine-equivalent dose 25 µg/min (18–40 µg/min), and 5.3 hours (2.1–12.2 hr) elapsed since shock onset. The odds of in-hospital mortality increased 20.7% for every 10 µg/min increase in norepinephrine-equivalent dose up to 60 µg/min at the time of vasopressin initiation (adjusted odds ratio, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.09–1.34]), but no association was detected when the norepinephrine-equivalent dose exceeded 60 µg/min (adjusted odds ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.84–1.10]). There was a significant interaction between timing of vasopressin initiation and lactate concentration (p = 0.02) for the association with in-hospital mortality. A linear association between increasing in-hospital mortality was detected for increasing lactate concentration at the time of vasopressin initiation, but no association was detected for time elapsed from shock onset.

CONCLUSIONS: Higher norepinephrine-equivalent dose at vasopressin initiation and higher lactate concentration at vasopressin initiation were each associated higher in-hospital mortality in patients with septic shock who received vasopressin.