Misclassifying Sepsis in the ICU

In a retrospective observational study, up to 25% of patients admitted to the ICU with presumed sepsis had noninfectious diagnoses (i.e., sepsis mimics).

Criteria for diagnosing sepsis have been updated several times since first proposed by Bone in 1992. The current “3.0” definition is primarily based on criteria for “life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection” (NEJM JW Gen Med Mar 15 2016 and JAMA 2016; 315:801); however, criteria for identifying presence of an infection are not included. Because rapid and accurate diagnosis of infection is challenging, misclassification of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with organ dysfunction and presumed sepsis may occur if an initially suspected infectious process is not present (i.e., “sepsis mimics”).

In a retrospective observational study conducted in four general ICUs between 2015 and 201…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Misclassifying Sepsis in the ICU

Topics

Reviewing Author