Management of sepsis in the elderly

Mortality due to serious infections is significantly higher among elderly patients than among younger patients. This differential is particularly striking in some subsets of patients; for example, the mortality rate among older patients with afebrile bacteremia is 65 percent, compared with 25 to 35 percent in younger patients. Although serious underlying disease is an important reason for older patients' difficulties with infection, other problems of these patients include a tendency to deny the presence of disease and some obstacles to interaction with the health care system. Older patients with infection are less likely to present with typical symptoms, which makes early recognition difficult for physicians. For example, typical findings of sepsis (mental obtundation, tachycardia, and fever) may be absent in an elderly patient; the only clue may be the patient's failure to eat. Once sepsis is recognized, its source must be identified. Urinary tract infection is the most common cause of sepsis in the elderly and responds best to antibiotic therapy. Pneumonia is the next most common cause and leads to the highest mortality in this age group; rapid (sometimes invasive) methods must be utilized to identify the etiologic agent. In this life-threatening infection, initial antibiotic therapy should include an aminoglycoside, such as amikacin, to ensure the broadest coverage against the common pathogens. Supportive measures should be instituted for patients with sepsis, including careful monitoring of fluid intake and output and special attention to adequate oxygenation. Fluid volume replacement must be carried out in patients with septic shock, and hemodynamic monitoring with a Swan-Ganz catheter should be performed frequently. Careful consideration should be given to the use of corticosteroids and inotropic agents. After appropriate cultures have been obtained, antibiotics should be started; the time from initial presentation to the administration of the first dose of antibiotic should not exceed one hour. Important considerations in antibiotic selection include the patient's history and environment (community, nursing home, or hospital), anatomic location of the infection, and the pathogen. In our institution, initial empiric antibiotic therapy consists of a combination of amikacin and cefotaxime. When older patients are treated, adjustments in dosing should be based on estimates of kidney function.