BackgroundThe evidence on the clinical significance of hyperbilirubinemia (HB) in critically ill patients with hematological malignancies is scarce. We therefore studied its burden in a 2010-2011 Franco-Belgian multicenter prospective study designed to evaluate the prognosis of these patients.Patients and methodsThe cohort comprised 893 patients from 17 centers, 61% men, with a median (interquartile range) age of 60 (49 – 70) years, and preferentially with underlying non-Hodgkin lymphoma (32%) or acute myeloid leukemia (27%). HB was defined as a total serum bilirubin ≥ 33 µmol/L at intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Our main goal was to evaluate the relationship between HB and outcome of critically ill hematological patients. Causes and management of HB in the ICU were analyzed as secondary end points.ResultsHB concerned 185 (21%) patients. Cyclosporine and antimicrobial treatments, ascites and cirrhosis, acute kidney injury, neutropenia, and myeloma (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] 0.38, p=0.006) were risk factors. Hospital mortality was 56.3% and 36.3% in patients with and without HB, respectively (p<0.0001 with the log-rank test). Adjusted for severity of illness, the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of HB for in-hospital mortality was 1.86 (1.28, 2.72). HB was overlooked by the ICU team for 92 (53%) patients. Overwise, liver workups for HB led to treatment modifications in 32 (40%) patients, including chemotherapy for cancer progression that was associated with reduced mortality with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.23, (p=0.02).ConclusionHB is associated with outcome of critically ill hematological adult patients and should be systematically explored and treated.