Association between emergency department-to-intensive care unit transfer time and mortality in patients with septic shock: a target trial emulation with septic shock in South Korea.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding poses a global challenge, particularly for critically ill patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Although delays in ICU transfer increase mortality in critically ill populations, the optimal timing for septic shock remains uncertain.

Methods

We conducted a target trial emulation using a prospective cohort of 815 septic shock patients from 19 Korean hospitals. Delayed ICU transfer was defined using restricted cubic splines. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression and inverse probability treatment weighting were used to adjust for confounders of age, sex, comorbidities, severity of illness, and mechanical ventilation use. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the ef

SUBMITTER: Cha JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12696553 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature