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Impaired chemoreflex sensitivity in adult patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome—the potential role of disease severity

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Abstract

Objective

The cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity is a powerful predictor of autonomic dysfunction in chronic heart failure and after myocardial infarction. The objective of the present study was to characterize cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity in patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). We also aimed to elucidate the effect of the severity of MODS on the assessment of cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Twelve-bed medical intensive care unit in a university center.

Patients

Forty consecutively admitted patients with MODS during a 7-month period. Patients with MODS were identified by an APACHE II score of 20 or more. Sepsis was defined as a Sepsis Score, according to Elebute and Stoner, of 12 or more.

Interventions

The cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity was assessed using the regression of heart interval (ms) versus arterial oxygen pressure (mmHg).

Measurements and results

First, we established a new method to assess cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity and applied it to healthy controls and patients. Second, we found that cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity correlated with the severity of MODS as calculated by the APACHE II score (r 2=0.34, p=0.001). This relation was best fitted by a model including minimum heart rate and standard bicarbonate in 24 h (r 2=0.5, p<0.001) and Glasgow Coma Scale (r 2=0.5, p=0.005). Age, however, did not significantly contribute (r 2=0.001, p=0.8).

Conclusions

The calculation of cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity enabled us to quantify an important component of the cardiorespiratory interactions in patients with MODS. Severity of illness was a more pronounced determinant of impaired cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity than age. The quantification of the cardiorespiratory interactions by measuring the cardiac chemoreflex sensitivity has potential to identify a subgroup of patients with worse prognosis.

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Acknowledgement

Hendrik Schmidt, Ursula Müller-Werdan and Dirk Hoyer are supported by grants of the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft” (SCHM 1398/3–1,-2; HOY 1634/8–1,2). Hendrik Schmidt and Karl Werdan are supported by the Research Focus 598 “Heart failure of the elderly: cellular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions” of the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft” (project A7).

We are indebted to D.Mönning for her valuable technical assistance.

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Schmidt, H., Müller-Werdan, U., Nuding, S. et al. Impaired chemoreflex sensitivity in adult patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome—the potential role of disease severity. Intensive Care Med 30, 665–672 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-2131-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-2131-2

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