The Clinical Value of Comprehensive Nursing Intervention in Preventing Severe Lymphopenia and Improving the Survival Rate Among Patients with Sepsis

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis who experience severe lymphopenia are at a higher risk of mortality, and they serve as a more accurate indicator of bacteremia compared to traditional infection markers. AIM: Our study aimed to examine the influence of severe lymphopenia on ICU mortality and outcomes in sepsis patients, while also evaluating the clinical significance of comprehensive nursing intervention in preventing severe lymphopenia. METHODS: Patients with sepsis in the ICU at our hospital between January 2015 and January 2021 were split into a control group and a test group.The control group received regular nursing care, while the test group was provided with comprehensive nursing care in addition to the control group. The results encompassed mortality rates of 28 days, mortality rates of 1 year, and lengths of stay in the ICU. RESULTS: Our attention was directed towards day 4 absolute lymphocyte counts, taking into account the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) outcome. Patients with severe lymphopenia were older, more patients with 2 above comorbidities, higher co-infection rates and SOFA score. In addition, patients with severe lymphopenia required longer days stay in ICU (P<0.001), and presented with higher 28-day mortality (P=0.038) and 1-year mortality (P=0.004). Patients in control group have a higher incidence of severe lymphopenia (P=0.006), 28-day mortality (P=0.015) and 1-year mortality (P=0.019) compared with the test group. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive nursing intervention can prevent the occurrence of severe lymphopenia, improve patients satisfaction and reduce mortality.