Is rosuvastatin protective against sepsis-associated encephalopathy? A secondary analysis of the SAILS trial

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a common cause of death in emergency departments and sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a major complication. Rosuvastatin may play a neuroprotective role due to its protective effects on the vascular endothelium and its anti-inflammatory functions. Our study aimed to explore the potential protective function of rosuvastatin against SAE. METHODS: Sepsis patients without any neurological dysfunction on admission were prospectively enrolled in the ‘Rosuvastatin for Sepsis-Associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome’ study (SAILS trial, ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00979121). Patients were divided into rosuvastatin and placebo groups. This is a secondary analysis of the SAILS dataset. Baseline characteristics, therapy outcomes, and adverse drug events were compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 86 patients were eligible for our study. Of these patients, 51 were treated with rosuvastatin. There were significantly fewer cases of SAE in the rosuvastatin group than in the placebo group (32.1% vs. 57.1%, P=0.028). However, creatine kinase levels were significantly higher in the rosuvastatin group than in the placebo group (233 [22–689] U/L vs. 79 [12–206] U/L, P=0.034). CONCLUSION: Rosuvastatin appears to have a protective role against SAE but may result in a higher incidence of adverse events.