In-Hospital Mortality-Associated Factors in Patients With Thrombotic Antiphospholipid Syndrome Requiring ICU Admission

Abstract

Background: The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease defined by thrombotic events that can require ICU admission because of organ dysfunction related to macrovascular and/or microvascular thrombosis. Critically ill patients with thrombosis and APS were studied to gain insight into their prognoses and in-hospital mortality-associated factors.

Methods: This French national, multicenter, retrospective study included all patients with APS and any new thrombotic manifestations admitted to 24 ICUs (January 2000-September 2018).

Results: During the study period, 134 patients (male/female ratio, 0.4) with 152 APS episodes were admitted to the ICU (mean age at admission, 46.0 ± 15.1 years). In-hospital mortality of their 134 last episodes was 35 of 134 (26.1%). The Cox multivariable model retained certain factors (hazard ratio [95% CI]: age ≥ 40 years, 11.4 [3.1-41.5], P < .0001; mechanical ventilation, 11.0 [3.3-37], P < .0001; renal replacement therapy, 2.9 [1.3-6.3], P = .007; and in-ICU anticoagulation, 0.1 [0.03-0.3], P < .0001) as independently associated with in-hospital mortality. For the subgroup of definite/probable catastrophic APS, the Cox bivariable model (including the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score) retained double therapy (corticosteroids + anticoagulant, 0.2 [0.07-0.6]; P = .005) but not triple therapy (corticosteroids + anticoagulant + IV immunoglobulins or plasmapheresis: hazard ratio, 0.3 [0.1-1.1]; P = .07) as independently associated with in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions: In-ICU anticoagulation was the only APS-specific treatment independently associated with survival for all patients. Double therapy was independently associated with better survival of patients with definite/probable catastrophic APS. In these patients, further studies are needed to determine the role of triple therapy.

Keywords: ICU; antiphospholipid syndrome; catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome; systemic lupus erythematosus.