SOFA Score Can Effectively Predict the Incidence of Sepsis and 30-Day Mortality in Liver Transplant Patients: A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the early predictive value for postoperative sepsis and 30-day mortality in liver transplant patients using sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA).

METHODS: A total of 96 liver transplant patients were enrolled into this study from February 2015 to June 2018. The general information, biochemical findings, and postoperative 30-day mortality of these patients were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: The SOFA scores, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) at postoperative day (POD) 3, 5, and 7 were significantly higher in the sepsis group than in the non-sepsis group, and the differences were statistically significant. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that SOFA scores at POD 1, 3, 5, and 7 had higher sensitivity and specificity in predicting the incidence of sepsis within 30 days. The difference in 30-day survival rate between patients with SOFA scores of > 5 and patients with SOFA scores of ≤ 5 at POD 1-7 was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: SOFA scores at POD 1-7 can effectively predict the incidence of sepsis and 30-day mortality in liver transplant patients on the basis of CRP and PCT.