. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Apr 10.

Published in final edited form as: Crit Care Med. 2010 Apr;38(4):1069–1077. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181d16a3e

Table 1.

Exclusion criteria

Code status limitations precluding critical care management (e.g. directives against use of mechanical
ventilation or vasopressor agents).

Refusal of patient or designated surrogate decision-maker to provide written informed consent, or inability
to obtain consent within 48 hours of diagnosis

Severe cardiomyopathy with left-ventricular ejection fraction < 30%^a

Chronic dialysis-dependent renal failure^a

History of solid organ or bone marrow/ stem cell transplantation^a

Pre-existing advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh Grade C)^a

Organic nitrate therapy^a

Current active bleeding^a

Hematocrit < 22% or <25% while on vasopressors^a

Pregnancy or hormone replacement therapy (HRT)^a

>48 hours since severe sepsis/ septic shock diagnosis

Arterial catheter for blood sampling not available

Laboratory equipment or staff not available

Exclusion criteria for both control subjects and sepsis patients. Control subjects were also excluded if they had infections or used antibiotics within 6 weeks of specimen collection.