Timing of antibiotic treatment identifies distinct clinical presentations among patients presenting with suspected septic shock.
Priya A PrasadArmond M EsmailiSandra OreperAlexander J BeagleColin HubbardKatie E RaffelYumiko Abe-JonesMargaret C FangKathleen D LiuMichael A MatthayKirsten N KangelarisPublished in: Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open (2024)
There was significant heterogeneity in presentation and timing of antibiotic initiation for suspected septic shock. Patients with later treatment commonly had hypotension on presentation, had more hypotension-associated comorbidities, and developed overt markers of infection (eg, SIRS) later. While these factors likely contribute to delays in clinician recognition of suspected septic shock, it may not impact sepsis outcomes.