Introduction:

The oxidative process in severe clinically ill patient with mechanical ventilation, base the possible association of serum uric acid with mortality and morbidity.

Objectives:

To identify the possible association of serum uric acid with the mortality and morbidity of severe clinically ill patients with invasive mechanical ventilation.

Methods:

A longitudinal and prospective observational study was carried out in 89 patients with invasive mechanical ventilation, admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hospital “Dr. Luís Díaz Soto”, from January 2000 to August 2007. On admission and for three consecutive days, the serum uric acid was determined with a Hitachi 902 microprocessor. The mean value was contrasted with mortality, morbidity, and mechanical ventilation time. Quantitative variables were expressed as mean and standard deviation; the comparison of means was made with Student’s t test. Qualitative variables were expressed with absolute frequencies and percentages; the association was evaluated with the chi square.

Results:

Male sex predominated (58,4 %) and mean age of 51,2 ± 14,9 years. The most frequent diagnosis on admission was sepsis (47,1 %). The mortality was 59,6 % and 66,3% in the hospital. The higher value of uric acid was associated to hospital mortality, the multiple organ damage syndrome (316,8 ± 165 mmol/l p=0,04) and the longer mechanical ventilation time (307,3 ± 157 mmol/l p=0,016).

Conclusions:

The association of mortality and morbidity, with serum uric acid on admission, was evident in severe clinical patients with mechanical ventilation.

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