This study highlights the critical role of hemolysis in sepsis and acute respiratory failure, showing a strong association with organ dysfunction.

Hemolysis is notably frequent, especially in patients with septic shock and those undergoing extracorporeal therapies.

It significantly contributes to renal impairment, with hemopexin deficiency correlating with increased acute kidney injury (AKI) and the need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

The depletion of plasma haptoglobin and hemopexin reliably indicates ongoing hemolysis, and low haptoglobin levels are significant predictors of mortality. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring hemolysis in septic patients, as measuring plasma haptoglobin and hemopexin is feasible in most hospital laboratories, making them practical biomarkers for routine clinical use.

Given haptoglobin’s protective function against cell-free hemoglobin toxicity, future research should investigate its therapeutic potential for mitigating hemolysis-related complications in sepsis.

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