Frequency of Septic Shock Increasing

A large study conducted by French biomedical scientists has found that the frequency of septic shock is increasing, with more multi-resistant bacterial strains involved. Their findings were reported in the July 15, 2003, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

While the crude mortality rate for septic shock is decreasing, the investigators found that the annual frequency of septic shock increased from 7.0 patients per 100 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in 1993 to 9.7 patients in 2000. The mortality rate during the same period decreased from 62.1% to 55.9%. The percentage of septic shock related to lung infection significantly increased during the period, while the percentage related to urinary tract infection significantly decreased. The study involved 100,544 ICU admissions from 22 hospitals over the eight-year period.

What is more significant is that by 2000, the proportion of antibiotic-resistant organisms had increased to about 25% of all cases seen. Among the cases studied, vasopressor therapy to cause vasoconstriction and raise blood pressure was used in more than 85% of cases, mechanical ventilation in about 81%, and renal replacement therapy in slightly over 25%. The lead author of the study was Djillali Annane, M.D., Ph.D., at the Hospital Poincare, Garches, France.




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American Journal of Rep. and CC Medicine