Managing sepsis--a common cause of geriatric death.
Consider where the patient acquired the infection--in the community or the hospital. Gram-negative sepsis that develops after admission to a hospital or extended-care facility is likely to be caused by multiply-resistant organisms. Lack of fever does not reliably exclude sepsis in elderly patients. Among 27 afebrile patients found to have bacteremia-fungemia, diagnosis was made in one-third only after blood cultures were drawn, and almost one-half were already receiving antibiotics.
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D014481:United States
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003404:Creatinine