Supplementary Material for: Impact of Muscle Mass on Survival in Patients with Sepsis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between loss of muscle mass and prognosis of sepsis. Methods: Six databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid, were searched by the deadline of August 18, 2020. A meta-analysis was conducted on the collected data by means of a random-effects model. The quality of each included article was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Out of 1,819 references, 6 articles and 1 conference abstract were included. Sepsis patients with a loss of muscle mass or sarcopenia had higher mortality (risk ratio [RR]: 1.94, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.59–2.37; I-squared = 18.7%, p p 2/m2 higher than those measured in deceased patients. Conclusion: A loss of muscle mass, as evaluated by CT scan, was associated with a poor outcome in sepsis.