Impaired heart rate variability predicts clinical deterioration and progressive organ failure in emergency department sepsis patients

Abstract

Introduction Emergency department (ED) sepsis patients without overt shock have a high incidence of clinical deterioration after admission. Heart rate variability (HRV) is decreased in severe sepsis. The objective was to determine the ability of a panel of HRV indices to identify physiologically stable ED sepsis patients who will develop worsening organ failure. We hypothesized that patients meeting the outcome of progressive organ failure will have decreased HRV on initial presentation.