Abstract: Sepsis is a major reason for preventable hospital deaths. A cluster-randomized controlled trial on an educational intervention did not show improvements of sepsis management or outcome. We now aimed to test an improved implementation strategy in a second intervention phase in which new intervention hospitals (former controls) received a multifaceted educational intervention, while controls (former intervention hospitals) only received feedback of quality indicators. Changes in outcomes from the first to the second intervention phase were compared between groups using hierarchical generalized linear models controlling for possible confounders. During the two phases, 19 control hospitals included 4050 patients with sepsis and 21 intervention hospitals included 2526 patients. 28-day mortality did not show significant changes between study phases in both groups. The proportion of patients receiving antimicrobial therapy within one hour increased in intervention hospitals, but not in control hospitals. Taking at least two sets of blood cultures increased significantly in both groups. During phase 2, intervention hospitals showed higher proportion of adequate initial antimicrobial therapy and de-escalation within 5 days. A survey among involved clinicians indicated lacking resources for quality improvement. Therefore, quality improvement programs should include all elements of sepsis guidelines and provide hospitals with sufficient resources for quality improvement. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01187134. Registered 23 August 2010, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01187134 .

Abstract: Timely antimicrobial treatment and source control are strongly recommended by sepsis guidelines, however, their impact on clinical outcomes is uncertain. Methods We performed a planned secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized trial conducted from July 2011 to May 2015 including forty German hospitals. All adult patients with sepsis treated in the participating ICUs were included. Primary exposures were timing of antimicrobial therapy and delay of surgical source control during the first 48 h after sepsis onset. Primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. Mixed models were used to investigate the effects of timing while adjusting for confounders. The linearity of the effect was investigated by fractional polynomials and by categorizing of timing. Results Analyses were based on 4792 patients receiving antimicrobial treatment and 1595 patients undergoing surgical source control. Fractional polynomial analysis identified a linear effect of timing of antimicrobials on 28-day mortality, which increased by 0.42% per hour delay (OR with 95% CI 1.019 [1.01, 1.028], p  ≤ 0.001). This effect was significant in patients with and without shock (OR = 1.018 [1.008, 1.029] and 1.026 [1.01, 1.043] , respectively). Using a categorized timing variable, there were no significant differences comparing treatment within 1 h versus 1–3 h, or 1 h versus 3–6 h. Delays of more than 6 h significantly increased mortality (OR = 1.41 [1.17, 1.69]). Delay in antimicrobials also increased risk of progression from severe sepsis to septic shock (OR per hour: 1.051 [1.022, 1.081] , p  ≤ 0.001). Time to surgical source control was significantly associated with decreased odds of successful source control (OR = 0.982 [0.971, 0.994], p  = 0.003) and increased odds of death (OR = 1.011 [1.001, 1.021]; p  = 0.03) in unadjusted analysis, but not when adjusted for confounders (OR = 0.991 [0.978, 1.005] and OR = 1.008 [0.997, 1.02] , respectively). Only, among patients with septic shock delay of source control was significantly related to risk-of death (adjusted OR = 1.013 [1.001, 1.026], p  = 0.04). Conclusions Our findings suggest that management of sepsis is time critical both for antimicrobial therapy and source control. Also patients, who are not yet in septic shock, profit from early anti-infective treatment since it can prevent further deterioration. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT01187134 ). Registered 23 August 2010, NCT01187134

Abstract: Fever and hypothermia have been observed in septic patients. Their influence on prognosis is subject to ongoing debates. Methods We did a secondary analysis of a large clinical dataset from a quality improvement trial. A binary logistic regression model was calculated to assess the association of the thermal response with outcome and a multinomial regression model to assess factors associated with fever or hypothermia. Results With 6542 analyzable cases we observed a bimodal temperature response characterized by fever or hypothermia, normothermia was rare. Hypothermia and high fever were both associated with higher lactate values. Hypothermia was associated with higher mortality, but this association was reduced after adjustment for other risk factors. Age, community-acquired sepsis, lower BMI and lower outside temperatures were associated with hypothermia while bacteremia and higher procalcitonin values were associated with high fever. Conclusions Septic patients show either a hypothermic or a fever response. Whether hypothermia is a maladaptive response, as indicated by the higher mortality in hypothermic patients, or an adaptive response in patients with limited metabolic reserves under colder environmental conditions, remains an open question. Trial registration The original trial whose dataset was analyzed was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01187134) on August 23, 2010, the first patient was included on July 1, 2011.

Abstract: Introduction: Mutations (muts) in JAK2, MPL, and CALR are genetic hallmarks in myeloproliferative neoplasms such as myelofibrosis (MF). Prognostication in MF is predominantly based on clinical parameters according to the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS). However, gene mutations become increasingly important allowing for a more precised assessment of prognosis. For instance, CALR mutated MF is associated with favorable prognosis, while mutations in distinct high molecular-risk (HMR) genes are considered adverse. Our multicenter phase-Ib/II MPNSG-0212 trial (NCT01644110) investigating ruxolitinib plus pomalidomide in a total cohort of 92 patients with advanced MF and anemia provides an ideal basis for investigating the genomic landscape and molecular risk in a well-defined study population. Aims & Methods: To assess the genomic landscape in MF patients treated within the MPNSG-0212 trial and to correlate the results with clinical parameters and overall survival (OS). So far, targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) of 269 candidate genes was performed in peripheral blood or bone marrow from 81/92 patients using libraries prepared with SureSelectXT HS (Agilent, Santa Clara, USA). NGS was carried out on a NextSeq550 (Illumina, San Diego, USA). Results: At study entry, median age of the 81 patients was 71 years (range 52-86), median Hb 8.6 g/dL (range 5.4-11.7 g/dl); 30% of patients were RBC transfusion-dependent; 67% had primary MF (PMF) and 33% secondary MF (SMF), respectively. According to DIPSS, the vast majority of the patients were categorized as intermediate-2 (63%) or high-risk (26%) MF; 11% were low- and intermediate-1 risk patients. Overall, 315 muts were identified in 80/81 (99%) patients with a median of 3 muts/patient (range 0-9). Recurrent muts (≥5%) were identified in JAK2 (60%), ASXL1 (30%), SRSF2 (21%), CALR (20%; type-1: 75% [n=12], type-2 and non-type-1/2: 12.5% [n=2] each), MPL (19%), SF3B1 (19%), TET2 (16%), U2AF1 (15%), CBL and EZH2 (10% each), IDH2 and DNMT3A (7% each), PHF6, ZRSR2, and CUX1 (5% each). The majority of the patients (95%) was characterized by the presence of a driver mut in JAK2, CALR, or MPL; 4/81 patients (5%) were triple negative (Figure 1). JAK2mut was associated with TET2mut (p=.047), whereas muts in CALR and TET2 were mutually exclusive (p=.05). CALRmut patients had less co-muts than patients with JAK2/MPL muts (mean 2.5 vs. 4.1, p=.007) and were mutually exclusive with muts in the spliceosome regulating genes SRSF2, SF3B1, U2AF1, and ZRSR2 (p=.009). Compared to MF with mutated JAK2 or MPL, MF patients with mutated CALR had a longer median OS (not reached vs. 3.1 years; p=.04). With regard to high molecular risk (HMR) muts, n=56 were detected in 38 patients (47%), with 40% (15/38) of the patients harboring ≥2 HMR muts. The most commonly mutated HMR genes were ASXL1 (43%; 24/56), followed by SRSF2 (30%), EZH2 (14%), IDH2 (11%), and IDH1 (2%). MPLmut but not JAK2mut or CALRmut were significantly associated with HMR mut (p=.023). HMR mut patients harbored more co-muts than HMR wt patients (median 5 vs. 3; p & lt;.0001). There were no significant differences in the variables age, sex, WBC, Hb, PLT, or LDH level between patients with HMR mut and HMR wt MF. In univariate analysis, patients with HMR mut MF had shorter median OS (2.3 vs 3.7 years, p=.007). In multivariate analysis (HMR mut, age, DIPSS-category, SMF vs. PMF) a higher DIPSS-score (HR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.5-7.0; p=.004) and muts in HMR genes (HR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.5-8.1; p=.003) were significant adverse prognostic factors for OS. Conclusions: Our NGS data underline the genomic complexity of advanced MF. CALR mutations were only found in 20% of the patients that were characterized by less co-mutations, mutual exclusivity with spliceosome mutations, and with more favorable outcome suggesting a distinct disease biology. Almost 50% of patients showed mutations in HMR genes which were associated with an inferior OS in univariate and multivariate analyses. §Frank Stegelmann and Konstanze Döhner contributed equally to this work. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Koschmieder: Shire: Honoraria, Other; Alexion: Other: Travel support; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support); Ariad: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support); Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support); Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support); Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support); Geron: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support), Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; AOP Pharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support), Research Funding; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Baxalta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other; Abbvie: Other: Travel support; CTI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: (e.g. travel support), Research Funding; Image Biosciences: Other: Travel support; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karthos: Other: Travel support. Heidel: Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; CTI: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AOP: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hochhaus: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Hebart: AbbVie: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria. Isfort: Alexion: Other: Travel reimbursement; Roche: Other: Travel reimbursement; Amgen: Other: Travel reimbursement; Mundipharma: Other: Travel reimbursement; Hexal: Other: Travel reimbursement; BMS: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Ariad: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel reimbursement; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel reimbursement. Reiter: AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel support; Deciphera: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel expenses; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene/BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel support; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel expenses; Blueprint Medicines: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel expenses; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel expenses, Research Funding. Waller: Boehringer Ingelheim: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Mylan: Consultancy; Alvotech: Consultancy; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Lilly: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel support; Chugai: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel support; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; IPSEN: Other: travel grant. Scheid: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Goethert: Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; zr pharma & : Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel support; AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Other: travel support; Proteros Biostructures: Consultancy. Schafhausen: Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alexion: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Blueprint Medicines: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Radsak: Otsuka: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Other: e.g. travel support; Astellas: Other: e.g. travel support; TEVA: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: e.g. travel support; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: e.g. travel support; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: e.g. travel support; Amgen: Other: e.g. travel support; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria; Corat: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cogent Biosciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; JAZZ: Other: e.g. travel support. Gattermann: Takeda: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. von Bubnoff: Novartis: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Brümmendorf: Bristol Myers: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Repeat Diagnostics: Research Funding; Takepart Media: Honoraria. Döhner: Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding; GEMoaB: Honoraria; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria, Research Funding; Oxford Biomedica: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Helsinn: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Berlin-Chemie: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Pfizer: Research Funding. Griesshammer: Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; AOP Orphan: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; CTI: Consultancy, Honoraria; Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria. Stegelmann: BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Döhner: Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Jazz Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Astellas: Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios and Astex: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Pomalidomide was shown to be active in patients with myelofibrosis in particular in the treatment of anemia (Tefferi et al 2009, Begna et al 2011, Mesa et al 2010)