Effect of cortisol and glycosylated-hemoglobin levels on mortality in intensive care unit

• Published in: Saudi medical journal Vol. 45; no. 5; pp. 476 - 480
• Main Authors: Sen, Oznur, Uzun, Ugur, Aydin, Nurdan, Guldogan, Isil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saudi Arabia Saudi Medical Journal 01-05-2024
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; APACHE; Biological markers; Care and treatment; Critically ill; Female; Glycated Hemoglobin - analysis; Glycated Hemoglobin - metabolism; Glycosylated hemoglobin; Health aspects; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hydrocortisone - blood; Intensive Care Units; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Male; Measurement; Middle Aged; Original; Physiological aspects; Prognosis; Respiration, Artificial; Turkey; mortality; steroids; glycated hemoglobin; intensive care units
• ISSN: 0379-5284; 1658-3175
• DOI: 10.15537/smj.2024.45.5.20240076

To research the effects of blood cortisol and hemoglobinA1c (HBA1C) levels on mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and whether these factors could be used as reliable indicators for mortality risk assessment in these patients.
After receiving approval from the ethics committee, 79 patients admitted to ICU were included in the study. From patient files, we collected data on demographics (age, gender), presence of diabetes mellitus, and levels of cortisol, HbA1C, glucose, and lactate measured during hospitalization, along with acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores calculated within the first 24 hours. In our study, we planned to investigate the relationship between patients' cortisol and HbA1C levels and mortality.
A total of 79 patients were included in the study. The mortality rate of the patients included in the study was 65.8%. In the model established with all variables, only cortisol level (
=0.017) and APACHE II score (
=0.005) were defined to affect mortality.
Cortisol levels at the time of admission to the ICU were found to affect mortality and can be considered a predictive factor, while HBA1C levels showed no such effect. Our findings indicate that neither cortisol nor HBA1C levels had an impact on the duration of mechanical ventilation or length of stay in the ICU.