Abstract
Objective: Sepsis represents a substantial health care and economical problem and there is no epidemiological data about the prevalence of sepsis and severe sepsis in intensive care units (ICU) in the Czech Republic. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of severe sepsis in ICU patients and to create nationwide network for future research projects.
Design: A nationwide questionnaire-based one-day point prevalence study. Setting: Charles University, Medical Faculty and Faculty Hospital Hradec Králové and Faculty Hospital in Plzeň, Masaryk's University and Faculty Hospital in Brno.
Material and methods: The study was conducted on April 10, 2003. All members of the Section of Intensive Care Medicine under the Czech Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine were sent a uniform questionnaire in order to collect data from each member's work place.
Data were collected from each patient hospitalized in responder's ICU on the study day. The Questionnaire included variables describing the ICU (identification, number of beds, occupancy on the study day) and evaluating each patient (sex, age, diagnostic group and presence of sepsis).
In patients with sepsis the presence of severe sepsis, source of sepsis, way of source control and type of vasopressor therapy were also evaluated. Results: A total of 327 patients were enrolled and further analyzed from 54 ICUs (total capacity 446 beds, bed occupancy 73%) with the mean age of 53 (range 0.5-87) years.
In 112 patients (34.2%) sepsis was diagnosed and of these 55 (16.8%) fulfilled the criteria for severe sepsis. Conclusion: This study documents for the first time the prevalence of sepsis and severe sepsis in the Czech Republic.
Prevalence of sepsis and severe sepsis was 34.2%, resp. 16.8% and obtained data do not differ from similar European and American studies. All responding ICUs expressed their interest to collaborate in similar studies which provides a baseline for future nationwide research projects.