Category: Critical Care
Keywords: sepsis recognition, antibiotics administration, mortality, (PubMed Search)
Posted: 3/10/2021 by Quincy Tran, MD
(Updated: 4/18/2024)
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Background:
The association between time intervals of ED antibiotic administration and outcome has been controversial. While single studies showed there was increased mortality associated with delayed antibiotic administration (1-3). A meta-analysis of 13 studies and 33000 patients showed that there was no mortality difference between septic patients receiving immediate Abx (< 1 hour) vs. those receiving early abx (1-3 hours) (4).
Since delay in recognition of sepsis (defined as ED triage to Abx order) and delay in antibiotics delivery (Abx order to administration) contribute to total delay of Abx administration, a new retrospective study (3) attempted to investigate the contributions of either factor to hospital mortality.
Results:
The study used generalized linear mixed models and involved 24000 patients.
For All patients and outcome of hospital mortality:
Recognition delay (ED triage to Abx order): OR 2.7 (95% CI 1.5-4.7)*
Administration delay at 2-2.5 hours (Abx order to administration): OR 1.5 (1.1-2.0)
These results was associated with non-statistical significance in patients with septic shocks.
Conclusion:
Delayed recognition of sepsis was associated with higher hospital mortality. Longer delay of abx administration was also associated with increased risk of hospital mortality.
1.Kumar A, Roberts D, Wood KE, et al: Duration of hypotension before initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy is the critical determinant of survival in human septic shock. Crit Care Med. 2006; 34:1589–1596
2. Ferrer R, Martin-Loeches I, Phillips G, et al: Empiric antibiotic treatment reduces mortality in severe sepsis and septic shock from the first hour: Results from a guideline-based performance improvement program. Crit Care Med 2014; 42: 1749–1755
3. Seymour CW, Gesten F, Prescott HC, et al: Time to treatment and mortality during mandated emergency care for sepsis. N Engl J Med 2017; 376:2235–2244.
4. Rothrock SG et al. Outcome of immediate versus early antibiotics in severe sepsis and septic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Emerg Med 2020 Jun 24; [e-pub]. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2020.04.042)
