Septic shock without documented infection: an uncommon entity with a high mortality

Objectives: To determine whether patients with clinically identified infection have the same outcome as patients with apparent sepsis but no identified infectious source.¶Design: Retrospective analysis of patient data.¶Patients: All patients treated with septic shock in a 31-bed intensive care unit (ICU) over a 3-year period.¶Results: Data from 227 patients were analysed. Eighty-seven percent had a clinically identified source of infection. ICU mortality was higher in septic shock patients without a clinically identified source of infection than in those with an identified source of infection (86 % versus 66 %, p < 0.05).¶Conclusions: A small number of patients presenting with septic shock have no clinically identified infection. These patients have a higher mortality rate than patients in whom an infection is identified.