Statins do not improve short-term survival in an oriental population with sepsis

Yang, Kai-Chien; Chien, Jung-Yien; Tseng, Wei-Kung; Hsueh, Po-Ren; Yu, Chong-Jen; Wu, Chau-Chung

doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2006.09.011

« Previous Next »American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 494-501, June 2007

Statins do not improve short-term survival in an oriental population with sepsis

Kai-Chien Yang, MD, MMS
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Jung-Yien Chien, MD
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Wei-Kung Tseng, MD
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Po-Ren Hsueh, MD
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Chong-Jen Yu, MD, PhD
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Chau-Chung Wu, MD, PhD
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Corresponding author. Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 2 23123456x5408; fax: +886 2 23966013.

Received 8 August 2006; received in revised form 4 September 2006; accepted 5 September 2006.

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to define the effect of statin on 30-day mortality in an oriental population with sepsis.

Design

We conducted a retrospective study on patients with sepsis at National Taiwan University Hospital from 2001 to 2002. The effects of statins on 30-day mortality were evaluated based on clinical settings. Log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were performed using the proportional hazards assumption.

Results

A total of 763 episodes of sepsis were reviewed; 454 consecutive patients were considered eligible. Among them, 104 (22.9%) took a statin at least 30 days before admission and during sepsis course, whereas the other 350 control (77.1%) did not. There was no significant difference of 30-day sepsis-related mortality between groups (19.2% vs 18.9%, P = .952). Statin treatment was not associated with decreased mortality at 30 days (P = .853; risk ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-1.68).

Conclusion

Short-term, sepsis-related mortality in a septic Taiwanese population was not reduced with statin treatment in our study. We concluded that statin therapy may have little effect on the survival of sepsis in oriental people, particularly in Taiwanese.