Descriptive analysis of sepsis in a developing country

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Sepsis research predominantly originates from developed nations.
• This study addresses the gap by examining sepsis cases in a tertiary hospital within a developing country.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an in-depth analysis of sepsis patient characteristics and management in a developing country context.
• To evaluate in-hospital mortality, the utility of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria, and overall sepsis management strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 97 patients diagnosed with sepsis, bacteremia, or septic shock admitted between January 2008 and June 2012.
• Data collected included vital signs, SIRS criteria, vasopressor and steroid use, and in-hospital mortality.
• Patients were admitted via the emergency department of a single university-based institution.

Main Results:

• The mean age of patients was 70.09 years, with 42.3% bacteremic.
• Antibiotics were initiated within 3.43 hours on average, with 87.6% started in the emergency department.
• In-hospital mortality was 30.9%, with deceased patients showing increased vasopressor use and longer time to norepinephrine administration.

Conclusions:

• This study offers crucial insights into sepsis management and outcomes in a developing country setting.
• Findings highlight the need for optimized sepsis protocols and timely interventions, particularly concerning vasopressor use.
• The study underscores the importance of analyzing sepsis epidemiology beyond developed nations.