This document describes the results of a trial involving over 15,000 severe sepsis patients across 60 hospitals. It shows that implementing interventions for early recognition and treatment of severe sepsis, including lactate screening, antibiotics, fluids, vasopressors and source control, led to a significant decrease in in-patient mortality rates from 41% to 19% over time. While some interventions like early goal-directed therapy have been debated, the key is focusing initial treatment on the basics of recognizing severe sepsis early, treating infections with antibiotics, and supporting circulation with fluids and vasopressors when needed.
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Crit Care Med 2011;39(4):689-94
Critical Care 2010,14:R142
Crit Care Med. 2012;40(12):3146-3153
Crit Care Med.2013 Jan;41(1):143-50
79. Lack of Prognostic Value of Lactate
Clearance in a Center with a Severe
Sepsis Protocol
80. 199 patients received aggressive monitored
severe sepsis care.
39 patients expired during their hospital course
(18% mortality)
The mean arrival lactate was 4.8 (± 3.0) in the
survivors compared to 7.3 (± 4.4) in those patients
who died (p<0.0001).
Lactates ≥4 were significantly associated with
increased mortality (p<0.05).
However, the patients who achieved lactate
clearance did not have significantly improved
survival when compared to those patients in
whom clearance was not achieved (p=.60).
In addition, patients with rebound in lactate ≥4,
after initial clearance, showed a 10-fold increase
in mortality (p<.05).
81. If you are already doing the
good stuff, clearance doesn’t
matter--unless they rebound…
82. May not be applicable to
places without a team that
wants to care about these
patients