Acid–Base Status and Its Clinical Implications in Critically Ill Patients
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Drolz et al. Ann. Intensive Care (2018) 8:48 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13613-018-0391-9 RESEARCH Open Access Acid–base status and its clinical implications in critically ill patients with cirrhosis, acute‑on‑chronic liver failure and without liver disease Andreas Drolz1,2*† , Thomas Horvatits1,2†, Kevin Roedl1,2, Karoline Rutter1,2, Richard Brunner1, Christian Zauner1, Peter Schellongowski3, Gottfried Heinz4, Georg‑Christian Funk5, Michael Trauner1, Bruno Schneeweiss1 and Valentin Fuhrmann1,2 Abstract Background: Acid–base disturbances are frequently observed in critically ill patients at the intensive care unit. To our knowledge, the acid–base profle of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) has not been evaluated and compared to critically ill patients without acute or chronic liver disease. Results: One hundred and seventy-eight critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis were compared to 178 matched con‑ trols in this post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data. Patients with and without liver cirrhosis showed hyper‑ chloremic acidosis and coexisting hypoalbuminemic alkalosis. Cirrhotic patients, especially those with ACLF, showed a marked net metabolic acidosis owing to increased lactate and unmeasured anions. This metabolic acidosis was partly antagonized by associated respiratory alkalosis, yet with progression to ACLF resulted in acidemia, which was present in 62% of patients with ACLF grade III compared to 19% in cirrhosis patients without ACLF. Acidemia and metabolic acidosis were associated with 28-day mortality in cirrhosis. Patients with pH values < 7.1 showed a 100% mortality rate. Acidosis attributable to lactate and unmeasured anions was independently associated with mortality in liver cirrhosis. Conclusions: Cirrhosis and especially ACLF are associated with metabolic acidosis and acidemia owing to lactate and unmeasured anions. Acidosis and acidemia, respectively, are associated with increased 28-day mortality in liver cirrhosis. Lactate and unmeasured anions are main contributors to metabolic imbalance in cirrhosis and ACLF. Keywords: Acid–base, Cirrhosis, Acute-on-chronic liver failure, Mortality Background Yet, only a few studies assessed the impact of underlying Derangements in acid–base balance are frequently chronic liver disease on acid–base equilibrium in critical observed in critically ill patients at the intensive care illness [7, 8]. While a balance of ofsetting acidifying and unit (ICU) and present in various patterns [1–4]. Severe alkalinizing metabolic acid–base disorders with a result- acid–base disorders, especially metabolic acidosis, have ing equilibrated acid–base status has been described in been associated with increased mortality [5, 6]. As a con- stable cirrhosis [9], severe derangements with result- sequence, acid–base status in critically ill patients with ing net acidosis owing to hyperchloremic, dilutional and various disease entities has been extensively studied. lactic acidosis were observed when cirrhosis was accom- panied by critical illness [7, 8]. Acute liver failure (ALF) *Correspondence: [email protected] is characterized by a diferent acid–base pattern with †Andreas Drolz and Thomas Horvatits contributed equally to the work dramatically increased lactate levels [10]. Te acidifying 2 Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center, efect of this increase in lactate was neutralized by hypoal- Hamburg‑Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany Full list of author information is available at the end of the article buminemia in non-paracetamol-induced ALF [11]. © The Author(s) 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. Drolz et al. Ann. Intensive Care (2018) 8:48 Page 2 of 12 Despite advantages in intensive care medicine, which tomography scanning), or via histology, if available. ACLF have led to an improved outcome over the last decade was identifed and graded according to recommendations [12], mortality in cirrhotic patients admitted to ICU is of the chronic liver failure (CLIF) consortium of the Euro- still high [13–15]. Measurement and knowledge of spe- pean Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) [20]. cifc acid–base patterns and their implications in criti- CLIF-SOFA score [20] and CLIF-C ACLF score [21] were cally ill patients with liver cirrhosis may help to improve calculated. Septic shock was defned according to the rec- patient management, especially in the ICU setting [16]. ommendations of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign [22]. However, to our knowledge, the acid–base profle of Twenty-eight-day mortality and 1-year mortality critically ill cirrhotic patients with acute-on-chronic were assessed on site or by contacting the patient or the liver disease (ACLF) has not been compared to criti- attending physician, respectively. cally ill patients without acute or chronic liver disease. Tis study is based on a post hoc analysis of prospectively Most information on the acid–base status of critically ill collected data [23]. Te Ethics Committee of the Medical patients with cirrhosis was obtained by comparing these University of Vienna waived the need for informed consent patients with healthy controls [8]. Yet, part of metabolic due to the observational character of this study. disturbances in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis may be attributable to critical illness per se, rather than Sampling and blood analysis to the presence of chronic liver disease. On admission, arterial blood samples were collected Te aim of this study was to assess acid–base patterns from arterial or femoral artery and parameters for the of critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis and ACLF, assessment of acid–base status were instantly measured. respectively, in comparison with critically ill patients pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), ionized without acute or chronic liver disease. calcium (Ca2+) and lactate were measured with a blood gas analyzer (ABL 725; Radiometer, Copenhagen, Den- Methods mark). Samples of separated plasma were analyzed for Patients concentrations of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chlo- All patients admitted to 3 medical ICUs at the Medical ride (Cl−), magnesium (Mg2+), inorganic phosphate (Pi), University of Vienna between July 2012 and August 2014 albumin (Alb), plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen were screened for inclusion in the study. For the pre- (BUN), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine sent study, only patients who had arterial blood samples aminotransferase (ALT) by a fully automated analyzer drawn within 4 h after ICU admission were eligible for (Hitachi 917; Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, inclusion. Patients with acute liver injury in the absence Germany). Na+ and Cl− were measured using ion-selec- of chronic liver disease were excluded. One hundred and tive electrodes. Lactate was measured with an ampero- seventy-eight patients with liver cirrhosis were identifed metric electrode. as eligible for inclusion. Te control group of 178 criti- cally ill patients without acute or chronic liver disease Acid–base analysis was selected by propensity score matching (PSM). Arterial concentration of bicarbonate (HCO3−) was cal- On admission, Simplifed Acute Physiology Score II culated from measured pH and PaCO2 values according (SAPS II) [17], SOFA [18], infections and organ dysfunc- to the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation [24, 25]. Base tions were documented. excess (BE) was calculated according to the formulae by All patients were screened for the presence of acute Siggaard-Andersen [24–26]. kidney injury (AKI) defned by urine output and serum Quantitative physical–chemical analysis was per- creatinine according to the Kidney Disease: Improving formed using Stewart’s biophysical methods [27], modi- Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guidelines fed by Figge and colleagues [28]. for Acute Kidney Injury [19]. Apparent strong ion diference (SIDa) was calculated: Te presence of liver cirrhosis was defned by a combi- SIDa = Na+ + K+ + 2 × Mg2+ + 2 × Ca2+ − Cl− − lactate nation of characteristic clinical (ascites, caput medusae, (SIDa in mEq/l; all concentrations in mmol/l) spider angiomata, etc.), laboratory and radiological fnd- ings (typical morphological changes of the liver, sings of Efective strong ion diference (SIDe) was calculated in portal hypertension, etc., in ultrasonography or computed order to account for the role of weak acids [29]: PaCO SIDe = 1000 × 2.46 × 10−11 × 2 + Alb × (0.123 × pH − 0.631) + Pi × (0.309 × pH − 0.469) 10−pH SIDe in mEq/l; PaCO2 in mmHg, Alb in g/l and Pi in mmol/l Drolz et al. Ann. Intensive Care (2018) 8:48 Page 3 of 12 Te efect of unmeasured charges was quantifed by the operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed, and the strong ion gap (SIG) [30]: area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was calculated to SIG = SIDa − SIDe evaluate the prognostic value of diferent metric vari- (all parameters in mEq/l) ables. Impact of acid–base disorders on mortality was assessed using Cox regression. A p value < 0.05 is consid- Based on the concept that BE can be altered by plasma ered statistically signifcant. Statistical analysis was con- dilution/concentration refected by sodium concentra- ducted using IBM SPSS