Objective: Sepsis is a clinical condition that requires urgent treatment. Most patients with sepsis require intensive care. There is a high mortality rate. The primary aim of the present study was to examine risk factors for mortality in patients with sepsis or septic shock in a medical intensive care unit (ICU). The secondary objective was to analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of these patients.
Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in a medical ICU. Patients diagnosed with sepsis according to the international consensus definition (Sepsis-3) and requiring ICU treatment were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded and analyzed.
Results: A total of 134 patients with sepsis were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 60±18 years and 49% were male. The most frequent reasons for admission to the ICU were respiratory failure (45.5%) and shock (44%). Gram-negative bacteria were present in 48%, Gram-positive bacteria in 15%, fungus in 8%, and there was no culture positivity in 29% of the patients. The in-hospital mortality rate was 51%. The need for vasopressor drugs (odds ratio [OR]: 4.612, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.273–16.781) or mechanical ventilation (OR: 25.312, 95% CI: 4.225–151.852) was an independent risk factor for mortality.
Conclusion: Patients treated in the ICU for sepsis or septic shock had a high mortality rate. The need for vasopressor drugs or mechanical ventilation was an independent risk factor for mortality.