Impact of appropriate antimicrobial therapy for patients with severe sepsis and septic shock--a quality improvement study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 11; p. e104475
• Main Authors: Yokota, Paula K O, Marra, Alexandre R, Martino, Marines D V, Victor, Elivane S, Durão, Marcelino S, Edmond, Michael B, dos Santos, Oscar F P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 06.11.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Biology and Life Sciences; Escherichia coli Infections - drug therapy; Escherichia coli Infections - mortality; Federal regulation; Female; Glucose; Hospital Mortality; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Laboratories; Lactic acid; Male; Medical practices; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Patients; Quality control; Quality Improvement; Retrospective Studies; Sepsis; Sepsis - drug therapy; Sepsis - mortality; Septic shock; Shock, Septic - drug therapy; Shock, Septic - mortality; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - mortality; Statistical analysis; Streptococcal Infections - drug therapy; Streptococcal Infections - mortality; Studies; Therapy; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104475

There is ample literature available on the association between both time to antibiotics and appropriateness of antibiotics and clinical outcomes from sepsis. In fact, the current state of debate surrounds the balance to be struck between prompt empirical therapy and care in the choice of appropriate antibiotics (both in terms of the susceptibility of infecting organism and minimizing resistance arising from use of broad-spectrum agents). The objective of this study is to determine sepsis bundle compliance and the appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock and its impact on outcomes. This study was conducted in the ICU of a tertiary care, private hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. A retrospective cohort study was conducted from July 2005 to December 2012 in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. A total of 1,279 patients were identified with severe sepsis and septic shock, of which 358 (32.1%) had bloodstream infection (BSI). The inpatient mortality rate was 29%. In evaluation of the sepsis bundle, over time there was a progressive increase in serum arterial lactate collection, obtaining blood cultures prior to antibiotic administration, administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics within 1 hour, and administration of appropriate antimicrobials, with statistically significant differences in the later years of the study. We also observed a significant decrease in mortality. In patients with bloodstream infection, after adjustment for other covariates the administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy was associated with a decrease in mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock (p = 0.023). The administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy was independently associated with a decline in mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock due to bloodstream infection. As protocol adherence increased over time, the crude mortality rate decreased, which reinforces the need to implement institutional guidelines and monitor appropriate antimicrobial therapy compliance.