BACKGROUND Host- and pathogen-related factors associated with septic shock in pneumococcal pneumonia are not well defined. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for septic shock and to ascertain patient outcomes. Serotypes, genotypes and antibiotic resistance of isolated strains were also analysed. METHODS Observational analysis of a prospective cohort of non-severely immunosuppr...

Vasopressor agents are often used in patients with septic shock when aggressive fluid resuscitation fails to correct hypotension. Dopamine and norepinephrine are two such vasopressor agents. In the past, fear of potential excessive vasoconstriction, with resultant end-organ hypoperfusion, restricted the use of norepinephrine in septic shock, relegating it to a second-line agent. However, recent...

1 Carli A, Auclair MC, Vernimmen C, Jourdon P. Reversal by calcium of rat heart cell dysfunction induced by human sera in septic shock. Circ Shock 1979; 6:147-57 2 Carli A, Auclair MC. Role of humoral cardiodepressant factors in septic shock. In: Lewis DH, Haglund U, eds. Shock research. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1963:203-14 3 Benassayag C, Christeff N, Auclair MC, Vernimmen C, CarliVielle CM, Nunez...

BACKGROUND Large registries are important data sources in epidemiological studies of shock, if these registries are valid. Therefore, we examined the positive predictive value (PPV) of diagnosis codes for shock, the procedure codes for inotropic/vasopressor therapy among patients with a diagnosis of shock, and the combination of a shock diagnosis and a code for inotropic/vasopressor therapy in ...

T he mortality rate in patients with sepsis and septic shock is still between 28% and 50% (1), and efforts to reduce mortality are a great challenge in intensive care medicine (2, 3). Although intensive insulin treatment (4), substitution of activated protein C (5), and supplementation of hydrocortisone in patients with reduced adrenal reserve in septic shock (6, 7) have been shown to reduce th...

Septic shock remains an important issue for critical care physicians. Despite significant advances in the knowledge of its pathophysiology, new effective therapeutic approaches have yet to emerge. Consequently, research on its pathophysiology must be continued. In a recent study, Katharina Mederle and colleagues explored the impact of angiotensin 1 receptor-associated protein 1 (Arap1) deficien...

Melioidosis is an endemic disease in southeast Asia and northern Australia, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. A typhoon-related outbreak occurred in southern Taiwan in July 2005. High mortality in melioidosis associated with bacteremic pneumonia and septic shock. We report a patient with life-threatening melioidosis who developed rapid progression of bacteremic pneumonia with acute respirato...

On October 1, 2015, the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a core measure addressing the care of septic patients. These core measures are controversial among healthcare providers. This article will address that there is no gold standard definition for sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock and the CMS-assigned definitions for severe sepsis and septic shock are ...