The Impact of Antibiotics Timing on ICU Stay Duration in Sepsis Patients- A Retrospective Study

Abstract

 Background: Timely antibiotic administration is crucial in the management of sepsis and septic shock, but the impact of timing on clinical outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between time to antibiotic administration and duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, as well as the relationship between Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores at presentation and ICU stay duration in patients with sepsis or septic shock. Methodology:This retrospective study included 101 patients aged ≥18 years with suspected infection and clinically diagnosed sepsis or septic shock, admitted to the ICU or high dependency unit from the emergency department between May 2022 and August 2022. Patients were divided into groups based on the time from triage to first antibiotic administration. APACHE II scores were calculated at presentation. The primary outcome was duration of ICU stay. Regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of interest, adjusting for potential con-founders. Results: The mean duration of ICU stay was 5.3 ± 3.5 days, and the mean APACHE II score was 18.95 ± 8.96. No significant association was found between time to antibiotic administration and duration of ICU stay (p > 0.05). Similarly, there was no significant correlation between APACHE II scores at presentation and ICU stay duration (p > 0.05) or mortality (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In this cohort of sepsis and septic shock patients, the timing of antibiotic administration and APACHE II scores at presentation were not significantly associated with the duration of ICU stay or mortality. These findings contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding the impact of antibiotic timing and severity scoring systems on sepsis outcomes.