Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Prescribing antibiotics is an essential component of initial therapy in sepsis. Early antibiotics are an important component of therapy, but speed of administration should not overshadow the patient-specific characteristics that determine the optimal breadth of antimicrobial therapy. ⋯ Combination antibiotic therapy against gram-negative infections is not routinely required, and combination therapy involving vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam is associated with an increase in acute kidney injury. Emergency practitioners should be aware of special considerations in the administration and dosing of antibiotics in order to deliver optimal care to septic patients.
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Identifying sources of infection and establishing source control is an essential component of the workup and treatment of sepsis. Investigation with history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging can in identifying sources of infection. ⋯ Interventions include administration of antibiotics and may require surgical or other specialist intervention. This is highlighted by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign with specific recommendations for time to antibiotics and expeditious time to surgical source control.
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Recent literature continues to refine which components of the early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) algorithm are necessary. Given it utilizes central venous pressure, continuous central venous oxygen saturation, routine blood transfusions, and inotropic medications, this algorithm can be timely, invasive, costly, and potentially harmful. New trials highlight early recognition, early fluid resuscitation, appropriate antibiotic treatment, source control, and the application of a multidisciplinary evidence-based approach as essential components of current sepsis management. This article discusses the landmark sepsis trials that have been published over the past several decades and offers recommendations on what should currently be considered 'usual care'.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Feb 2017
ReviewAntimicrobial Stewardship in the Management of Sepsis.
Sepsis represents a unique clinical dilemma with regard to antimicrobial stewardship. The standard approach to suspected sepsis in the emergency department centers on fluid resuscitation and timely broad-spectrum antimicrobials. The lack of gold standard diagnostics and evolving definitions for sepsis introduce a significant degree of diagnostic uncertainty that may raise the potential for inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing. Intervention bundles that combine traditional quality improvement strategies with emerging electronic health record-based clinical decision support tools and rapid molecular diagnostics represent the most promising approach to enhancing antimicrobial stewardship in the management of suspected sepsis in the emergency department.
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Our evolving understanding of the physiologic processes that lead to sepsis has led to updated consensus guidelines outlining priorities in the recognition and treatment of septic patients. However, an enormous question remains when considering how to best implement these guidelines in settings with limited resources, which include rural US emergency departments and low- and middle-income countries. The core principles of sepsis management should be a priority in community emergency departments. Similarly, cost-effective interventions are key priorities in low- and middle-income countries; however, consideration must be given to the unique challenges associated with such settings.