Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Austin Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3084, Australia.
Crit Care. 2011 Aug 8;15(4):180. doi: 10.1186/cc10319.
Understanding the nature and biological basis of gender-determined differences in risk of and outcome from infection might identify new therapeutic targets, allow more individualised treatment, and facilitate better risk prediction and application of healthcare resources. Gender differences in behaviours, comorbidities, access to healthcare and biology may result in differences in acquiring infection, or in response to infection once acquired. Some studies have reported higher male susceptibility to infection, and higher risk of death with sepsis, but others have found the opposite effect. The explanation for this disagreement is probably that different studies have included patients at different stages on the continuum from infectious agent exposure to death or recovery. Studying sufficient patient numbers to explore this entire continuum while accounting for heterogeneity in type of infection and comorbidity is difficult because of the number of patients required. However, if true gender effects can be identified, examination of their biological or psychosocial causes will be warranted.
了解性别决定的感染风险和感染结果差异的性质和生物学基础，可能有助于确定新的治疗靶点，提供更个体化的治疗，并促进更好的风险预测和医疗资源的应用。性别在行为、合并症、获得医疗保健的机会和生物学方面的差异可能导致感染的易感性不同，或者在感染后产生的反应不同。一些研究报告称男性更容易感染，脓毒症的死亡率更高，但也有研究发现相反的结果。对于这种不一致的解释，可能是因为不同的研究纳入了处于从感染因子暴露到死亡或恢复的连续体不同阶段的患者。由于需要的患者数量众多，研究足够数量的患者来探索整个连续体，同时考虑感染类型和合并症的异质性是困难的。然而，如果能够确定真正的性别影响，就有必要检查其生物学或社会心理原因。
