Department Blog

Posted 2/22/2017 by Linda Kesselring

Review Article Confirms Standard Care for Patients with Septic Shock

Mike Winters, MD, and three other members of the Clinical Practice Committee of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine have a clinical practice paper in the March issue of The Journal of Emergency Medicine (52[3]:379?384). Its title asks, “Does Early Goal-Directed Therapy Decrease Mortality Compared with Standard Care in Patients with Septic Shock?” Based on a review of critical care articles published between 2010 and 2015, the authors concluded that early goal-directed therapy does not convey a benefit in terms of mortality rate compared with standard care. Critical components in the management of septic shock remain early recognition, prompt administration of the right antibiotic, source control, aggressive fluid resuscitation, and use of vasoactive medications when indicated to maintain adequate mean arterial pressure.