Timing to antibiotic therapy in septic oncologic patients presenting without hypotension

Sepsis accounts for only 2% of the hospitalizations worldwide but more than 17% of total in-hospital mortality. Inappropriate antimicrobial selection and delays in appropriate therapy have been associated with reduced survival in severe sepsis and septic shock. No studies to date have exclusively targeted septic oncologic patients without hypotension.

This study was a retrospective chart review of 100 adult cancer patients presenting to the emergency department with sepsis without hypotension. We investigated the effect of time to appropriate antibiotics on in-hospital mortality and hospital length of stay. It was hypothesized that increased time to antibiotic administration would worsen patient outcomes including in-hospital mortality and length of stay.

Each 1-h delay in administration of appropriate antibiotic therapy increased the odds of in-hospital mortality by 16% (adjusted OR 1.16. 95% CI 1.04-1.34, p = 0.04). Time to appropriate antibiotics had no effect on hospital length of stay.

Time to appropriate antibiotics and in-hospital mortality were associated in this population of adult oncologic patients with sepsis without hypotension. Clinicians in the emergency department should strive to ensure the timely administration of a complete and appropriate empiric antibiotic regimen in septic patients with active cancer even in the absence of hypotension.