Predictive value of NUTRIC score for chronic critical illness in patients of sepsis complicated with ARDS

Aim: To assess the prognostic utility of the NUTRIC score in predicting Chronic Critical Illnesses (CCI) among sepsis patients complicated with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Methods: This observational study investigated adult patients with sepsis complicated by ARDS, in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Yi Wu Central Hospital between January 2020 and May 2022. Key demographic details such as age, gender, and clinical parameters, including acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (NUTRIC) score upon admission were meticulously noted. Additional information encompassed the length of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation utilization, and the renal replacement therapy requirement. Stratifying the patients into the CCI and rapid recovery (RAP) groups, we conducted comparative analyses to discern group differences. Risk factors for CCI after sepsis in elderly patients were analyzed through log-binomial regression. Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis was carried out for the NUTRIC score, with P-value < 0.05. Results: Amidst the 122 septic patients involved in the study, those classified as having CCI exhibited significantly advanced age and higher scores in APACHE II, SOFA, and NUTRIC compared to patients designated as experiencing rapid recovery (RAP) (P-value < 0.05). The NUTRIC score emerged as an independent risk factor for the onset of CCI in elderly septic patients, in multivariate regression analysis. Area under curve (AUC) for the NUTRIC score was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.096–3.874), underscoring its potential as a predictive metric for chronic critical illness in this patient population. Conclusions: Utilizing the NUTRIC score upon admission to the ICU holds promise as a predictive tool for CCI after sepsis complicated by acute respiratory distress. Key words: NUTRIC; Patients of sepsis complicated with acute respiratory; Chronic critical illness