Spurious inferences about long-term outcomes: the case of severe sepsis and geriatric conditions.

TitleSpurious inferences about long-term outcomes: the case of severe sepsis and geriatric conditions.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsIwashyna, TJ, Netzer, G, Langa, KM, Cigolle, CT
JournalAm J Respir Crit Care Med
Volume185
Issue8
Pagination835-41
Date Published2012 Apr 15
ISSN Number1535-4970
KeywordsAged, Aged, 80 and over, Body Mass Index, Chronic pain, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Critical Illness, Disabled Persons, disease progression, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Hearing Disorders, Hospitalization, Humans, Incidence, Male, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Prognosis, Retrospective Studies, Risk Assessment, Sepsis, Survival Analysis, Survivors, Thinness, Time, Treatment Outcome, Urinary incontinence, Vision Disorders
Abstract

RATIONALE: Survivors of critical illness suffer significant limitations and disabilities.

OBJECTIVES: Ascertain whether severe sepsis is associated with increased risk of so-called geriatric conditions (injurious falls, low body mass index [BMI], incontinence, vision loss, hearing loss, and chronic pain) and whether this association is measured consistently across three different study designs.

METHODS: Patients with severe sepsis were identified in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative cohort interviewed every 2 years, 1998 to 2006, and in linked Medicare claims. Three comparators were used to assess an association of severe sepsis with geriatric conditions in survivors: the prevalence in the United States population aged 65 years and older, survivors' own pre-sepsis levels assessed before hospitalization, or survivors' own pre-sepsis trajectory.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Six hundred twenty-three severe sepsis hospitalizations were followed a median of 0.92 years. When compared with the 65 years and older population, surviving severe sepsis was associated with increased rates of low BMI, injurious falls, incontinence, and vision loss. Results were similar when comparing survivors to their own pre-sepsis levels. The association of low BMI and severe sepsis persisted when controlling for patients' pre-sepsis trajectories, but there was no association of severe sepsis with injurious falls, incontinence, vision loss, hearing loss, and chronic pain after such controls.

CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric conditions are common after severe sepsis. However, severe sepsis is associated with increased rates of only a subset of geriatric conditions, not all. In studying outcomes after acute illness, failing to measure and control for both preillness levels and trajectories may result in erroneous conclusions.

Notes

Iwashyna, Theodore J Netzer, Giora Langa, Kenneth M Cigolle, Christine K08 AG031837/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ K08 HL091249/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/ K12 RR023250/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ P30-AG028747/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ P60 DK-20572/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/ R01 AG030155/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ U01 AG09740/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ UL1RR024986/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 Apr 15;185(8):835-41. Epub 2012 Feb 9.

DOI10.1164/rccm.201109-1660OC
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22323301?dopt=Abstract

Endnote Keywords

Body Mass Index/Cohort Studies/Comorbidity/DISABILITY/DISABILITY/Geriatric Assessment/Hearing Disorders/Hospitalization/Musculoskeletal Diseases/Risk Assessment/Sepsis/Survival Analysis/body Weight/Treatment Outcome/Urinary Incontinence/Vision Disorders

Endnote ID

69456

Alternate JournalAm J Respir Crit Care Med
Citation Key7712
PubMed ID22323301
PubMed Central IDPMC3360570
Grant ListK12 RR023250 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
P60 DK-20572 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
K08 AG031837 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30-AG028747 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG028747 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
UL1RR024986 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG09740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P60 DK020572 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
K08 HL091249 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
UL1 RR024986 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG030155 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States