Comparing cardiac index and left ventricular ejection fraction in ICU patients with sepsis
Authors' conclusion
Although CI and LVEF were modestly correlated, this association weakened when either parameter was abnormal, highlighting their non-equivalence as haemodynamic parameters. While both markers exhibited comparable associations with mortality, their combination substantially improved prognostic accuracy.
Study context
- Population
- ICU patients with sepsis admitted April 2016–December 2021 with a TTE within 7 days of sepsis onset21% septic shock
- Participants
- 1,731 patients
- Exposure
- Echocardiography-derived cardiac index (CI) vs left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) phenotypes (low, normal, high)
- Outcome
- Mortality
- Follow-up
- 90 days
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
90-day mortality by CI and LVEF subgroup
Odds ratio (CI)P value
Low CI vs Normal CI
2.6(1.8–3.7)
P < 0.001High CI vs Normal CI
3.4(2.7–4.4)
P < 0.001Low LVEF vs Normal LVEF
1.6(1.2–2.3)
P = 0.004High LVEF vs Normal LVEF
3.2(2.4–4.3)
P < 0.001Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Overall 90-day mortality
- Overall 90-day mortality (n = 561)
- 32.5%
Correlation between CI and LVEF (Spearman)
- Moderate correlation, r
- 0.51 (0.47-0.54)
- One-third of patients in a given CI subgroup classified into a discordant LVEF subgroup
Combined CI and LVEF stratification
- Stratifying CI subgroups by LVEF (and vice-versa) associated with significantly different mortality rates
Original publication
Comparing cardiac index and left ventricular ejection fraction in ICU patients with sepsis. J Crit Care. Published 8 May 2026. doi:10.
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