Measuring Patient-centred Long-term Outcome Following a Bloodstream Infection: a Pilot Study

Objectives: To evaluate the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and modified SOFA (mSOFA) scoring and a novel performance score based on the Karnofsky score for measuring outcome following a bloodstream infection (BSI).

Method: This prospective observational cohort study assessed patients with BSI for mortality and functional outcomes with a novel performance score: the functional bloodstream infection score (FBIS). We also tested the SOFA and, given the difficulties with measuring SOFA on ward-based patients, the mSOFA over the first 7 days following a BSI for their association with outcomes.

Results: One hundred participants were prospectively recruited. Mortality at 52 weeks following BSI was 21% (21/100). Only 57% of survivors (39/69) were at their baseline functional status at 52 weeks. Stable or improved SOFA/mSOFA over the first 7 days was associated with survival and return to premorbid performance score (risk ratio 3.2, 95%CI 1.3-9.4, p < 0.01).

Conclusions: The acute change in SOFA/mSOFA was associated with 52-week survival and return to premorbid functional performance. The FBIS measurement represents a simple and easy-to-apply measure of functional performance for patients with BSI and was associated with a high response rate (89%) from participants.