Reducing mortality in severe sepsis and septic shock

Severe sepsis is one of the most common reasons for critically ill patients to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and has very high associated morbidity and mortality. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign was initiated with the hope that mortality might be reduced by standardizing care informed by data from an increasing number of clinical trials. Important methods for reducing mortality identified by recent studies include aggressive fluid resuscitation, early goal-directed therapy (EGDT), early administration of antibiotics, and the administration of activated protein C to eligible patients.