Renal involvement in the systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome

Uncontrolled infection quite often leads to systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome (SIRS) and multiorgan dysfunction (MOD) syndrome. Thirty-five consecutive patients (19 males) fulfilling strict diagnostic criteria for SIRS were enrolled in two multicenter prospective double-blind trials involving new therapies for SIRS. The patients were followed prospectively up to day 28 after the enrollment. In the 35 patients with SIRS, males predominated in the age group below 40 (10/12, 83%) compared to the older group (nine males out of 23, 39%). Out of 16 females presenting with SIRS: only two were below the age of40. This distribution was statistically different than our general MICU population. The serum albumin in these patients was uniformly low, with a mean of 22.5 gm/L. The bulk of SIRS patients (22/35; 63%) went on to develop acute renal failure (ARF). Although statistically not different, skin and peritoneal infections were more common in ARF group while pulmonary infections in non-ARF group. The majority of blood-cultures grew gram-positive organisms. Resolution of SIRS occurred within first 3 days in greater number of non-ARF survivors than ARF survivors (6/9, 66.7% vs. 6/16, 37.5%). Of the 22 ARF patients, 17 showed improvement in their renal function; the five who did nor, died before day 28. The overall mortality (about 32%) was similar in both groups. Patients who developed both ARF and ARDS did not survive. In conclusion. SIRS occurs mostly in elderly patients, almost always in patients with low albumin levels. Premenopausal women seem to be protected. Blood cultures isolated a gram-positive organism in the majority of cases. Improvement in serum creatinine suggests good prognosis. The mortality in ARF and non-ARF groups is similar.