Characterization of limitations of life-sustaining therapy decisions and their impact on outcomes in adults with septic shock – Insights from a retrospective cohort
Authors' conclusion
Among septic shock patients, LLST are frequent, increasingly decided soon after ICU admission, vary during the ICU stay and carry a negative impact on ICU survival.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive adults with septic shock, single centre, 2008–2021
- Participants
- 907 adults
- Exposure
- Early vs delayed limitations of life-sustaining therapies (LLST) decisions
- Early LLSTn = 106
- Delayed LLSTn = 151
- Outcome
- Frequency, decision-making process, determinants and attributable mortality of LLST decisions
Methodological detailssingle-centre, propensity-score matched
- Single-centre
- Propensity-score matched
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
LLST decisions
LLST decided
257
28.3 %
Time to LLST, median [IQR], days in ICU
5
IQR 2–10
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
In-ICU mortality
%
- Overall in-ICU mortality
- 37.6
- In-ICU mortality among patients with LLST
- 75.9
SOFA score on admission
- Median SOFA score, points
- 10 [IQR 7-13]
Original publication
Characterization of limitations of life-sustaining therapy decisions and their impact on outcomes in adults with septic shock – Insights from a retrospective cohort. J Crit Care. Published 21 June 2025. doi:10.
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