Is it given over importance to serum zinc level in patients with sepsis? Zinc and sepsis

Zinc and sepsis

Abstract

Background: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to infection, life-threating and one of leading causes of death in intensive care units. The aim of this study is to determine relation between mortality and daily required doses of zinc replacement in adult patients with sepsis. Subjects and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in internal medicine intensive care unit (ICU) of Gaziantep University Hospital. A total of 264 patients patients with sepsis in ICU, who are with low serum zinc level at admission (n=132) and not (n=132) included in the study. Results: 28 and 90-day mortality have been found higher in patients with normal serum zinc level at admisson to ICU than other group as 53.8% and 91.8%, respectively (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant correlation between serum zinc levels, SAPS and SOFA scores, respectively (r: -0.232, p<0.001 and r:-0.260, p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings show that zinc replacement by daily required dose has no effect on 28 and 90-days mortality in septic patients with low serum zinc levels at the time of admission to ICU. Further prospective, randomized controlled trials to compare of daily required and higher doses of zinc supplementation should carry out.