Early Versus Late Norepinephrine Therapy in Management of Septic Shock as Prognostic Factor of Mortality

Abstract

The third edition of the guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock also concentrates on the choice of vasopressors. The guidelines recommend that vasopressors (norepinephrine as the first choice) be administered for hypotension refractory to initial fluid resuscitation and to maintain a mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥65 mm Hg. However, it is the timing of vasopressor therapy, rather than the specific agent, that appears to be crucial. This study was conducted on 50 diagnosed patients with septic shock. Patients are divided into two groups according to time (Hours) to initial norepinephrine administration: group A (Early-NE group which received norepinephrine <3 hours after the onset of septic shock) and group B (Late-NE group which received norepinephrine ≥3 hours after the onset of septic shock