Ischemia-Modified Albumin, Lactate, and Combination for Predicting Mortality in Patients with Septic Shock in the Emergency Department

Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is produced during ischemia and reactive oxygen species production. This study aimed to evaluate the association between IMA and mortality in a larger population and the prognostic value of the combination of IMA and lactate for predicting mortality in septic shock patients in the emergency department. This retrospective observational study included adult septic shock patients between October 2019 and December 2021. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was performed. IMA was significantly higher in the non-surviving group than in the surviving group (89.1 ± 7.2 vs. 83.8 ± 6.2 U/mL, p < 0.001). IMA was independently associated with 28-day mortality after adjustments (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.075, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.016–1.138, p = 0.012). The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of IMA was 0.712 (95% CI: 0.648–0.775, p < 0.001) and was comparable to that of lactate. The AUROC of the combination of IMA and lactate was 0.838 (95% CI: 0.786–0.889, p < 0.001). The group with both high lactate and high IMA levels showed an extremely high risk of mortality than other groups (86.1%; aHR 8.956, 95% CI 4.071–19.70, p < 0.001). The elevation of IMA was associated with mortality in septic shock patients. The combination of IMA and lactate can be a helpful tool for early risk stratification of septic shock patients.