Factors associated with sepsis mortality among adults in intensive care units in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
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Abstract
Introduction: Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units, particularly in low-resource settings where diagnostic and therapeutic delays frequently worsen outcomes. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local data on sepsis remain limited. This study arms to identify factors associated with mortality among adult patients with sepsis admitted to the multidisciplinary intensive care unit of the tertiary HEAL Africa Hospital in Goma.
Material ans methods: This was a retrospective analytical study conducted from April 2024 to March 2025. All adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis, defined according to the Sepsis-3 criteria, were included. Anamnestic, clinical, biological, and therapeutic data were collected and analyzed. Factors associated with mortality were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results: Among 486 intensive care unit admissions, 121 cases of sepsis were identified (24.8%), of which 104 patients were included in the final analysis. The median age was 52 years (IQR: 35–67), and the male-to-female ratio was 1.3. The overall mortality rate was 30.8%. Independent factors associated with mortality were the presence of at least two comorbidities (OR = 57.1; p = 0.001), a SOFA score ≥ 8 at admission (OR = 6.3; p = 0.028), a delay in antibiotic administration of ≥ 2 hours (OR = 5.8; p = 0.044), and the use of mechanical ventilation (OR = 41.6; p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Sepsis among adults is frequent in the intensive care unit in Goma and remains associated with high mortality. Multiple comorbidities, initial severity, and delays in management are the main determinants of poor outcomes. Early recognition and prompt, adequate management could help reduce sepsis-related mortality in this setting
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