Prognostic Values of the Timing of Antibiotic Administration and the Sepsis Bundle Component in Elderly Patients With Septic Shock: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Elderly patients are more susceptible to sepsis and septic shock. Early administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics is a key element of the sepsis management of bundle. Our study aimed to investigate the association between the timing of antibiotics administration and the risk of adverse outcomes in elderly patients with septic shock, and to examine the prognostic value of other bundle elements.

Method: This is a single-center, retrospective, case-control study including elderly patients (aged ≥ 65 years) diagnosed with septic shock in the emergency department between October 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019. Eligible patients were divided into early (within 1 h) and late (beyond 1 h) groups according to the time interval between septic shock recognition and initial antibiotic administration. The characteristics, sepsis-related severity scores, management strategy, and outcomes were recorded. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the independent prognostic factors.

Results: A total of 331 patients were included in the study. The overall 90-day mortality rate was 43.8% (145/331). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, sepsis-related severity scores, and management strategy between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the early and late groups in the rate of intensive care unit transfer (46.4% vs. 46.6%, P = 0.96), endotracheal intubation (28.3% vs. 27.5%, P = 0.87), renal replacement therapy (21.7% vs. 21.8%, P = 1.00), or 90-day mortality (44.2% vs. 43.5%, P = 0.90). Serum lactate level (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15, P < 0.01) and source control (HR = 0.56, P = 0.03) were identified as independent factors associated with 90-day mortality.

Conclusion: The timing of antibiotic administration was not associated with adverse outcomes in elderly patients with septic shock. Serum lactate level and source control implementation were independent prognostic factors in these patients.