Antibiotics has more impact on mortality than other early goal-directed therapy components in patients with sepsis: An instrumental variable analysis.

Purpose: To estimate the effect of each of the EGDT components, as well as of the antibiotics, on length-of-stay and mortality.

Methods: Prospective cohort in three hospitals. Adult patients admitted by the Emergency Rooms (ER) with infection and any of systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg or lactate >4 mmol/L. An instrumental analysis with hospital of admission as the instrumental variable was performed to estimate the effect of each intervention on hospital mortality and secondary outcomes.

Results: Among 2587 patients evaluated 884 met inclusion criteria, with a hospital mortality rate of 17% (n = 150). In the instrumental analysis, the only intervention associated with an absolute reduction in mortality (21%) was the use of antibiotics in the first 3 h. In patients with lactate values ≥4 mmol/L in the ER, a non-decrease of at least 10% at six hours was independently associated with mortality (OR = 3.1; 95%CI = 1.5-6.2).

Conclusions: Among patients entering ER with infection and shock or hypoperfusion criteria, the use of appropriate antibiotics in the first 3 h is the measure that has the greatest impact on survival. In addition, among patients with hyperlactatemia >4 mmol/L, the clearance of >10% of lactate during resuscitation is associated with better outcomes.