Lower Mortality with De-escalation of Antibiotic Therapy in Sepsis

In a prospective, observational study conducted in Spain, de-escalation of antibiotic therapy in patients with sepsis was associated with significantly decreased hospital- and 90-day mortality.

Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines recommend the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the initial management of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock to minimize the risk for inadequate antimicrobial treatment, which has been shown to increase mortality. However, as soon as culture results are available, the spectrum should be narrowed to reduce selection pressure for resistant pathogens, a strategy known as “de-escalation.” To evaluate the effect of antibiotic de-escalation on outcomes, researchers conducted a prospective, observational study involving adults admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Seville, Spain, with severe sepsis or septic shock between January 2008 and May 2012 (N=628).

Identification of the c…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Lower Mortality with De-escalation of Antibiotic Therapy in Sepsis

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Reviewing Author