International Guidelines For Management
International Guidelines For Management
International Guidelines For Management
READING
Definition
Sepsis
Severe
sepsis
Septic
Shock
Initial
Resuscitation
sepsis and
performance
Improvement
Diagnosis
Antimicrobial
Therapy
Source Control
Infection
Pervention
Vasopressors
Inotropic Therapy
Corticosteroid
INITIAL RESUSCITATION
quantitative resuscitation of patients with sepsis- induced tissue hypoperfusion
(defined in this document as hypotension persisting after initial fluid challenge or
blood lactate concentration 4 mmol/L). This protocol should be initiated as soon as
hypoperfusion is recognized and should not be delayed pending ICU admission.
During the first 6 hrs of resuscitation, the goals of initial resuscitation of sepsisinduced hypoperfusion should include all of the following as a part of a treatment
protocol (grade 1C):
CVP 812 mm Hg
MAP 65 mm Hg
Urine output 0.5 mLkghr
Superior vena cava oxygenation saturation (Scvo2) or mixed venous oxygen saturation (Svo2) 70% or
65%, respectively.
DIAGNOSIS
obtaining appropriate cultures before antimicrobial therapy is
initiated if such cultures do not cause significant delay (> 45
minutes) in the start of antimicrobial(s) administration (grade 1C).
To optimize identification of causative organisms, we recommend
obtaining at least two sets of blood cultures (both aerobic and
anaerobic bottles) before antimicrobial therapy, with at least one
drawn percutaneously and one drawn through each vascular access
device, unless the device was recently (< 48 hours) inserted. These
blood cultures can be drawn at the same time if they are obtained
from different sites. Cultures of other sites (preferably quantitative
where appropriate), such as urine, cerebrospinal fluid, wounds,
respiratory secretions, or other body fluids that may be the source
of infection, should also be obtained before antimicrobial therapy if
doing so does not cause significant delay in antibiotic
administration (grade 1C).
Antimicrobial Therapy
The administration of effective intravenous antimicrobials within the first hour of recognition of septic shock
(grade 1B) and severe sepsis without septic shock (grade 1C) should be the goal of therapy. Remark: Although
the weight of the evidence supports prompt administration of antibiotics following the recognition of severe
sepsis and septic shock, the feasibility with which clinicians may achieve this ideal state has not been
scientifically evaluated.
We recommend that initial empiric anti-infective therapy include one or more drugs that have activity against all
likely pathogens (bacterial and/or fungal or viral) and that penetrate in adequate concentrations into the tissues
presumed to be the source of sepsis (grade 1B).
The antimicrobial regimen should be reassessed daily for potential de-escalation to prevent the development of
resistance, to reduce toxicity, and to reduce costs (grade 1B)
We suggest that combination therapy, when used empirically in patients with severe sepsis, should not be
administered for longer than 3 to 5 days. De-escalation to the most appropriate single-agent therapy should be
performed as soon as the susceptibility profile is known (grade 2B). Exceptions would include aminoglycoside
monotherapy, which should be generally avoided, particularly for P. aeruginosa sepsis, and for selected forms of
endocarditis, where prolonged courses of combinations of antibiotics are warranted.
Source Control
We recommend that a specific anatomical diagnosis of infection requiring consideration for emergent
source control (eg, necrotizing soft tissue infection, peritonitis, cholangitis, intestinal infarction) be
sought and diagnosed or excluded as rapidly as possible, and intervention be undertaken for source
control within the first 12 hr after the diagnosis is made, if feasible (grade 1C).
We suggest that when infected peripancreatic necrosis is identified as a potential source of infection,
definitive intervention is best delayed until adequate demarcation of viable and nonviable tissues has
occurred (grade 2B).
When source control in a severely septic patient is required, the effective intervention associated with
the least physiologic insult should be used (eg, percutaneous rather than surgical drainage of an
abscess) (UG).
If intravascular access devices are a possible source of severe sepsis or septic shock, they should be
removed promptly after other vascular access has been established (UG).
Infection Pervention
1a. We suggest that selective oral decontamination (SOD) and selective
digestive decontamination (SDD) should be introduced and investigated as a
method to reduce the Special Article Critical Care Medicine
www.ccmjournal.org 595 incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP);
this infection control measure can then be instituted in healthcare settings
and regions where this methodology is found to be effective (grade 2B).
1b. We suggest oral chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) be used as a form of
oropharyngeal decontamination to reduce the risk of VAP in ICU patients with
severe sepsis (grade 2B).
Hemodynamic
Support and
Adjunctive
Therapy
Vasopressors
We recommend norepinephrine as the first-choice vasopressor (grade 1B).
We suggest epinephrine (added to and potentially substituted for norepinephrine) when an additional agent is needed
to maintain adequate blood pressure (grade 2B).
Vasopressin (up to 0.03 U/min) can be added to norepinephrine with the intent of raising MAP to target or decreasing
norepinephrine dosage (UG).
5. Low-dose vasopressin is not recommended as the single initial vasopressor for treatment of sepsis-induced
hypotension, and vasopressin doses higher than 0.030.04 U/min should be reserved for salvage therapy (failure to
achieve an adequate MAP with other vasopressor agents) (UG).
6. We suggest dopamine as an alternative vasopressor agent to norepinephrine only in highly selected patients (eg,
patients with low risk of tachyarrhythmias and absolute or relative bradycardia) (grade 2C).
Phenylephrine is not recommended in the treatment of septic shock except in the following circumstances: (a)
norepinephrine is associated with serious arrhythmias, (b) cardiac output is known to be high and blood pressure
persistently low, or (c) as salvage therapy when combined inotrope/ vasopressor drugs and low-dose vasopressin have
failed to achieve the MAP target (grade 1C).
Inotropic Therapy
Corticosteroid
We suggest not using intravenous
hydrocortisone as a treatment of
adult septic shock patients if
adequate fluid resuscitation and
vasopressor therapy are able to
restore hemodynamic stability
(see goals for Initial
Resuscitation). If this is not
achievable, we suggest
intravenous hydrocortison alone
at a dose of 200 mg per day
(grade 2C).
We recommend that
corticosteroids not be
administered for the treatment of
sepsis in the absence of shock
(grade 1D).
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