The utility of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine DIC scoring system for predicting survival in acute exacerbation of fibrosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonia

Background Although evidence of a disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)-like reaction has been identified in the lung parenchyma of patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an association between DIC and IPF outcome has not been elucidated. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated the association between the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM)-DIC score and mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of fibrosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (AE-fIIP). Methods Between January 2008 and December 2016, consecutive patients with chronic fIIP who were admitted for the first time for AE-fIIP were recruited into the study. Associations between clinical data and JAAM-DIC score at the time of admission and mortality were examined. Results During the study period, a total of 91 patients with fIIP (73.0 +/- 8.4 y.o.) were hospitalized for AE-fIIP for the first time. The 30-day and hospital mortality were 8.7% and 17.5%, respectively. A multivariate analysis showed that the JAAM-DIC score on admission was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.57, 95% confidential interval [CI] 1.50-4.40, P = 0.0006). The APACHE II score (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01-1.63, P = 0.03) and the JAAM-DIC score (OR 3.47, 95% CI 1.73-6.94, P = 0.0004) were independent predictors of hospital mortality. Conclusions The JAAM-DIC scoring system can predict survival in patients with AE-fIIP. The role of DIC in the pathogenesis of AE-fIIP merits further investigation.