Antibiotics for Sepsis Within 1 Hour May Not Be Feasible in the ED

The 1-hour measure lacks evidence of benefit and was achieved in only 29% of patients during an emergency department quality improvement initiative specifically designed to improve adherence.

Guidelines recommending very early antibiotics (<1 hour or <3 hours) for patients with severe sepsis are controversial. To assess a quality improvement intervention and identify factors associated with antibiotic delay, researchers performed a retrospective before-and-after study of emergency department (ED) patients meeting criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock. The quality improvement initiative utilized the Shock Precautions on Triage Sepsis tool for screening in triage, and case-specific performance feedback for clinicians. Data and outcomes were extracted from the medical record. Excluded were patients who received comfort care only, were transferred from another hospital, or were already being treated for infection.

The study incl…

Reviewing Author

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Antibiotics for Sepsis Within 1 Hour May Not Be Feasible in the ED

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Reviewing Author