Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Background: The prognostic value of body temperature in sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) remains unclear. In this study we aimed to investigate the association between temperature and mortality among SIC patients.

Methods: We analyzed data for 9,860 SIC patients from an intensive care database. Patients were categorized by maximum temperature in the first 24 hours into the following: ≤36.0°C; 36.0–37.0°C; 37.0–38.0°C; 38.0–39.0°C; and ≥39.0°C. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. We used multivariate regression to analyze the temperature-mortality association.

Results: The 37.0–38.0°C, 38.0–39.0°C and ≥39.0°C groups correlated with lower 28-day mortality (adjusted HR 0.70, 0.76 and 0.72, respectively), while the <36.0°C group correlated with higher mortality compared to the 36.0–37.0°C group (adjusted HR 2.60). A nonlinear relationship was observed between temperature and mortality. Subgroup analysis found no effect modification except in cerebrovascular disease.

Conclusion: A body temperature in the range of 37.0–38.0°C was associated with a significantly lower mortality compared to the normal temperature (36.0–37.0°C) group. Additionally, a gradual but statistically insignificant increase in mortality risk was observed when body temperature exceeded 38.0°C. Further research should validate these findings and elucidate involved mechanisms, especially in cerebrovascular disease subgroups.