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

Abstract

To determine whether patients with clinically identified infection have the same outcome as patients with apparent sepsis but no identified infectious source. Retrospective analysis of patient data. All patients treated with septic shock in a 31-bed intensive care unit (ICU) over a 3-year period. 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). 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.