Abstract
Although coagulation disorders and immune/inflammatory response have been associated with the final outcome of patients with sepsis, their link with thetemporaryclinical deterioration or improvement of patients is unknown. We aimed to investigate this link. We prospectively included consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a suspected diagnosis of infection and evaluated within the first 24 h from admission. Blood levels of many cytokines and inflammatory and coagulation factors were measured and their predictive value was assessed by calculating the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curves. Patients (n = 102) were allocated in five groups, i.e., sepsis (n = 14), severe sepsis (n = 17), septic shock (n = 28), Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) without infection (n = 17), and trauma/surgery without SIRS or infection (n = 26). In septic shock, coagulation factors FVII and FIX and Protein C had AUROCs 0.67-0.78. In severe sepsis, Antithrombin III, Protein C, C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin and Thrombopoietin had AUROCs 0.73-0.75. In sepsis, Tumor Necrosis Factor a, and Interleukins 1β and 10 had AUROCs 0.66-0.72. In patients admitted to the ICU with a suspected diagnosis of infection, coagulation factors and inhibitors, as well as cytokine and inflammatory marker levels, have substantial predictive value in distinct groups of septic patients.