Serum lactate measurement (83.9% vs 98.7%, P = .003) and median time to initial antibiotic administration (135 minutes vs 108 minutes, P = .021) improved significantly after protocol implementation. However, one quarter of antibiotic administration times still exceeded the 3-hour target. Significant predictors of in-hospital mortality were respiratory dysfunction, central nervous system dysfunction, urinary tract infection, vasopressor administration, and patient body weight (P < .05). There were no in-hospital mortality rate differences between the pre– and post–protocol implementation groups.
Discussion