Urosepsis: from the intensive care viewpoint

A recent survey conducted by the Competence Network Sepsis (SepNet) revealed that severe sepsis and/or septic shock occurs in 75 000 inhabitants (110 per 100 000) and sepsis occurs in 79 000 inhabitants (116 per 100 000) in Germany annually. The prevalence of urosepsis in this survey was 7%. Early diagnosis of sepsis prior to the onset of clinical deterioration is of particular interest because this would increase the possibility of early and specific treatment, which in turn is the major determining factor of mortality in septic patients. Treatment of urosepsis consists of source control, early antimicrobial therapy as well as supportive and adjunctive therapy. For supportive therapy, adequate volume loading is the most important step in the treatment of patients with urosepsis in order to restore and maintain oxygen transport and tissue oxygenation. Therefore, supportive treatment should focus on adequate volume resuscitation and appropriate use of inotropes/vasopressors. The PROWESS study is the first investigation demonstrating the decrease in mortality in patients with sepsis following administration of activated protein C (APC). Thus, administration of APC to patients with two-organ failure or an APACHE II score ≥25 within the first 24 h after the first sepsis-induced organ failure is a part of adjunctive therapy. Additionally, current data support low-dose hydrocortisone therapy in patients with vasopressor-dependent severe septic shock. Time to initiation of therapy is crucial for surviving sepsis. Implementing new medical evidence in this context into daily clinical intensive care remains a major hurdle.