Plasma Antioxidant Potential at Admission is Associated with Length of ICU Stay in Child with Sepsis: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationship between biomarkers of oxidative stress (OS) and the length of stay in intensive care units (LSICU) in septic children. Methods: Clinical parameters and biomarkers of OS were measured in 16 children admitted for sepsis in an intensive care unit. The associations between biomarkers of OS and the LSICU were assessed by linear correlation. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to adjust other variables. Results: The mean of LSICU was 7.13 ± 4.17 days. LSICU was associated with the catalase activity (rho =0.56, p-value =0.024) and the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP, r = 0.73, p-value =0.001). However, only FRAP at ICU admission was independently associated with LSICU, which rose 0.21 days for each 10 µmol/l of increase in the FRAP level. Conclusion: We conclude for first time that FRAP level at ICU admission is independently associated with LSICU in pediatric patients.

Keywords:

• Oxidative stress
• sepsis
• intensive care
• pediatrics
• biomarkers
• length of stay

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the staff of Dr. Roberto del Río Children’s Hospital for their assistance and interest in the study and the laboratory assistants for their significant work. We also thank Osvaldo Berger for his collaboration on this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by “Fondo Nacional de Investigacion Científica y Tecnologica” (FONDECYT grant 1070948, CONICYT, Ministry of Education, Government of Chile).