Thursday March 25, 2010
Impact of time to antibiotics on survival in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock

Objective: To study the association between time to antibiotic administration and survival in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock in whom early goal-directed therapy was initiated in the emergency department with 261 patients undergoing early goal-directed therapy.

Results:

• When analyzed for time from triage to appropriate antibiotics, there was a significant association at the less than 1 hr (mortality 19.5 vs. 33.2%; p = .02) time cutoff;
• Similarly, for time from qualification for early goal-directed therapy to appropriate antibiotics, a significant association was seen at the less than/= 1 hr (mortality 25.0 vs. 38.5%; p = .03) time cutoff.
  

Conclusions: Elapsed times from triage and qualification for early goal-directed therapy to administration of appropriate antimicrobials are primary determinants of mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock treated with early goal-directed therapy.



Impact of time to antibiotics on survival in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock in whom early goal-directed therapy was initiated in the emergency department - Critical Care Medicine: April 2010 - Volume 38 - Issue 4 - pp 1045-1053