Gender and mortality in sepsis: do sex hormones impact the outcome?

Objective: Comparative assessment of the mortality rates of two septic patients' ages and/or gender subgroups, admitted to the intensive care unit of a university hospital.

Methods: From December 2005 to April 2008, from a total of 628 patients, 133 were admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis and included into two age subgroups: (G1) 14 - 40 years old and (G2) more than 50 years old. Patients aged between 41 and 50 years old (n = 8) were excluded. Demographic data, prognostic indicators (APACHE II score, organ dysfunction and circulatory shock) and outcome (mortality) were analyzed.

Results: Of the G1 patients (n = 44), 27 were female (61.4%), and in G2 (n = 81), 40 were female (49.4%). For both groups, mean APACHE II scores, multi-organ dysfunction and progression to circulatory shock rates were not significantly different between female and male patients. For G1, overall mortality rate was lower in female than in male patients (P = 0.04), while for G2, the opposite trend was observed.

Conclusions: In this sample, reproductive age female patients younger than 40 years old showed lower mortality rates compared with age-matched male patients; for patients older than 50 years old, male patients had lower mortality rates than female patients.