Advances in Sepsis Treatment

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Intensive Care

Background:

• Sepsis treatment has historically lacked targeted therapies despite advances in critical care.
• A complex interplay between coagulation and inflammation systems has spurred novel pharmacologic approaches for sepsis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review innovative pharmacologic therapies for severe sepsis.
• To discuss early goal-directed resuscitation and corticosteroid use in septic shock.
• To evaluate glycemic control in critically ill patients.

Main Methods:

• Summary of clinical trials involving drotrecogin alfa (activated) (recombinant human activated protein C).
• Discussion of early, goal-directed resuscitation guided by central venous oxygen saturations.
• Review of corticosteroid use in septic shock and glycemic control in postoperative patients.

Main Results:

• Drotrecogin alfa (activated) is the only FDA-approved medicine for severe sepsis.
• Early goal-directed resuscitation demonstrates beneficial effects.
• Tight glycemic control shows benefits in postoperative critically ill patients.

Conclusions:

• Drotrecogin alfa (activated) represents a significant advancement in severe sepsis treatment.
• Early resuscitation strategies and glycemic control are crucial in managing critically ill patients.
• Further research is needed to extrapolate glycemic control data to medical patients.