Guideline summary · Infectious disease · 7 min read
Sepsis and septic shock: the first hour
Recognise early, culture, give antibiotics, resuscitate and reassess.
Key points
- Do not use qSOFA alone as a screening tool; compare it with SIRS, NEWS or MEWS.
- Measure lactate and repeat it if the first value is raised.
- Take blood cultures before antibiotics, as long as this does not delay them.
- Give broad-spectrum antibiotics within 1 hour when septic shock or sepsis is likely.
- Start noradrenaline (norepinephrine) to keep the mean arterial pressure at 65 mm Hg or more if fluids do not restore it.
Summary based on the Surviving Sepsis Campaign international guidelines (2021). A study aid, not a substitute for the current guideline or local protocols.
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