The following is a summary of “Catecholamine concentration as a predictor of mortality in emergency surgical patients,” published in the July 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Suh et al.

Trauma and emergency surgeries pose significant risks to patient health and survival.

Researchers conducted a prospective study determining whether serum epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were associated with aging and mortality.

They involved 90 patients with trauma in the surgical critical care unit. The study involved 90 patients admitted for postoperative care, major trauma, or both. Demographic and clinical data and serum levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine were collected.

The results showed that in patients older than 60, the use of vasoactive drugs correlated with undetectable epinephrine levels (OR 95% CI = 6.36 [1.12, 36.08], P=0.05). For patients with undetectable epinephrine, in-hospital mortality was higher in patients with norepinephrine levels of ≥ 2006.5 pg/mL (OR [95%CI] = 4.00 [1.27, 12.58], P=0.03).

Investigators concluded that older age was associated with increased mortality, and undetectable serum epinephrine levels were linked to poor outcomes, suggesting potential benefits of epinephrine use in older surgical patients with shock, providing a reassuring direction for critical care practices.

Source: intjem.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12245-024-00676-4