Septic shock and adequacy of early empiric antibiotics in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is an increasing concern for Emergency Physicians.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether empiric antibiotic therapy achieved appropriate antimicrobial coverage in emergency department (ED) septic shock patients and evaluate reasons for inadequate coverage.

METHODS: Retrospective review was performed of all adult septic shock patients presenting to the ED of a tertiary care center from December 2007 to September 2008. Inclusion criteria were: 1) Suspected or confirmed infection; 2) ≥ 2 Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria; 3) Treatment with one antimicrobial agent; 4) Hypotension requiring vasopressors. Patients were dichotomized by presentation from a community or health care setting.

RESULTS: Eighty-five patients with septic shock were identified. The average age was 68 ± 15.8 years. Forty-seven (55.3%) patients presented from a health care setting. Pneumonia was the predominant clinically suspected infection (n = 38, 45%), followed by urinary tract (n = 16, 19%), intra-abdominal (n = 13, 15%), and other infections (n = 18, 21%). Thirty-nine patients (46%) had an organism identified by positive culture, of which initial empiric antibiotic therapy administered in the ED adequately covered the infectious organism in 35 (90%). The 4 patients who received inadequate therapy all had urinary tract infections (UTI) and were from a health care setting.

CONCLUSION: In this population of ED patients with septic shock, empiric antibiotic coverage was inadequate in a small group of uroseptic patients with recent health care exposure. Current guidelines for UTI treatment do not consider health care setting exposure. A larger, prospective study is needed to further define this risk category and determine optimal empiric antibiotic therapy for patients.