The Association between the Level of Antithrombin III and Mortality in Children with Sepsis

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The diagnosis of sepsis remains continuing to develop which determines treatment and prognostic. Antithrombin III is one of the coagulation markers to evaluate the prognosis of sepsis. AIM: To determine the association between the level of antithrombin III and mortality in children with sepsis in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Haji Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Haji Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan from April until June 2015. There were 41 children with sepsis. Sepsis was diagnosed from clinical and laboratory findings. Complete blood count, antithrombin III level, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were an indicator of unproven sepsis that performed in the laboratory. Meanwhile blood culture was performed in the microbiology laboratory. The association between the level of antithrombin III and mortality was analysed by using chi-square test. RESULTS: Of the 41 participants, the low antithrombin III level was 13 of 41 children (31.7%) meanwhile the normal antithrombin III level was 28 of 41 children (68.3%). There was 8 of 13 (42.1%) and 11 of 28 (57.9%) children in death cases of low and normal antithrombin III level, respectively. Samples with low antithrombin III level had 2.473 higher risk mortality than normal antithrombin III level (P = 0.184; 95% CI 0.641 to 9.5421; PR = 2.473). CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant association between levels of antithrombin III and mortality in children with sepsis.