Table 1 Descriptive summary of studies included in the systematic review of prognostic value of biomarkers among critically ill adults with sepsis
Study characteristics | |
Year of publication; n (%) | |
≤2015 | 16 (27) |
2016–2022 | 44 (73) |
Number of centres involved; n (%) | |
Single centre | 49 (81.7) |
Two centres | 3 (5.0) |
4 or more centres | 8 (13.3) |
Participants’ recruitment in the study; n (%) | |
Prospective | 44 (73.3) |
Retrospective | 16 (26.7) |
Study design; n (%) | |
Cohort | 54 (90.0) |
Case-control | 6 (10.0) |
Study funding (not reported = 20 studies); n (%) | |
Public | 22 (36.7) |
Private/industry | 3 (5.0) |
Mixed | 4 (6.7) |
No funding | 11 (18.3) |
Conflict of interest. (not reported = 13 studies); n (%) | |
No conflicts | 44 (73.3) |
Conflicts reported | 3 (5.0) |
Population characteristics | |
Sample size; median (25th 75th percentiles) | 145; 5 (89 to 267) |
Age (years) (Not reported = 1 study); n (%) | |
Means (min.—max.) | 40.5 to 84.3 |
Medians (min.—max.) | 32 to 79 |
Sex-female (min.—max) | 23.7% to 67% |
Diagnosis of sepsis. (not reported = 3 studies); n (%) | |
ACCP/SCCM 1991 | 3 (5.0) |
2001 SCCM/ESICM/ACCP/ATS/SIS | 16 (26.7) |
2015 SCCM/ESICM Sepsis-3 | 30 (50.0) |
Other criteria | 6 (10.0) |
Septic shock only; n (%) | 17 (28.3) |
Sepsis origin (Not reported = 13 studies); n (%) | |
Mixed | 43 (71.7) |
Respiratory only | 3 (5.0) |
Bacteraemia only | 1 (1.7) |
APACHE scores (not reported = 25 studies) | |
Means (min.—max.) | 3.6 to 32.3 |
Medians (min.—max.) | 15 to 33 |
SOFA scores (not reported = 18 studies) | |
Means (min.—max.) | 2.3 to 29.7 |
Medians (Min. — Max.) | 4 to 11 |
SAPS-II scores (not reported = 53 studies) | |
Means (min.—max.) | 22.1 to 83.6 |
Medians (min.—max.) | 41 to 63 |
Report of comorbidities; n (%) | 30 (50.0) |
Hospital setting; n (%) | |
Emergency room | 16 (26.7) |
Intensive care unit | 41 (68.3) |
Mixed | 3 (5.0) |
Mechanical ventilation (not reported = 46 studies), (min.—max.) | 19.9% to 98.3% |
Use of vasopressors (not reported = 51 studies), (min.—max.) | 4.5% to 91.1% |
Patients on dialysis (not reported = 56 studies), (min.—max.) | 22% to 68% |
Duration of ICU stay/days (not reported = 29 studies) | |
Medians (min.—max.) | 4 to 15.5 |
Biomarkers characteristics | |
Number of biomarkers by study (n = 60 studies); n (%) | |
One biomarker assessment | 32 (53.3) |
Two biomarkers assessments | 23 (38.3) |
3 or 4 biomarkers assessments | 5 (3.4) |
Procalcitonin (40 studies, 43 assessments); n (%) | |
Timing of measurement | |
At admission | 15 (37.5) |
Within 24 h of admission | 15 (37.5) |
At the time of diagnosis | 8 (20.0) |
Not reported | 2 (5.0) |
Unit of measurement | |
ng/mL | 28 (70.0) |
µg/L | 4 (10.0) |
pg/mL | 1 (2.5) |
g/mL | 1 (2.5) |
ng/dL | 1 (2.5) |
mg/L | 1 (2.5) |
g/L | 1 (2.5) |
log─ng/mL | 2 (5.0) |
log─µg/mL | 1 (2.5) |
C-reactive protein (25 studies, 27 assessments); n (%) | |
Timing of measurement | |
At admission | 10 (40.0) |
Within 24 h of admission | 10 (40.0) |
At the time of diagnosis | 4 (16.0) |
Not reported | 1 (4.0) |
Unit of measurement | |
mg/L | 13 (52.0) |
mg/dL | 8 (32.0) |
pg/mL | 1 (4.0) |
log─mg/L | 2 (8.0) |
log─mg/dL | 1 (4.0) |
Interleukin-6 (22 studies, 22 assessments); n (%) | |
Timing of measurement | |
At admission | 6 (27.3) |
Within 24 h of admission | 11 (50.0) |
At the time of diagnosis | 3 (13.6) |
Not reported | 2 (9.1) |
Unit of measurement | |
pg/mL | 16 (72.7) |
ng/mL | 1 (4.5) |
ng/L | 1 (4.5) |
log─pg/mL | 4 (18.3) |
Presepsina (6 studies, 6 assessments); n (%) | |
Timing of measurement | |
At admission | 2 (33.3) |
Within 24 h of admission | 3 (50.0) |
Not reported | 1 (16.7) |
Unit of measurement | |
pg/mL | 4 (66.6) |
µg/mL | 1 (16.7) |
log─pg/mL | 1 (16.7) |
Outcome characteristicsa | |
Min–max mortality (%) | 7.04 to 65.3 |
No reported/not estimable | Five studies |
Mortality at 28–30 days (51 assessments); n (%)a | |
Mortality during the first 28–30 days, no details provided | 40 (78.4) |
Hospital mortality during the first 28–30 days | 4 (7.8) |
Sepsis-related mortality measured at 28–30 days | 4 (7.8) |
ICU mortality during the first 28–30 days | 3 (6.0) |
Mortality (general, no details) (10 assessments); n (%)a | |
Hospital mortality (no-survival), no details provided | 6 (50.0) |
ICU mortality (no-survival), no details provided | 5 (50.0) |