Table 1.
Characteristics of ED Patients With Sepsis According to Timing of Antibiotic Initiation
| Characteristic | Antibiotic Initiation ≤ 3 h (n = 6,158) |
Antibiotic Initiation > 3 h (n = 4,653) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 60.9 ± 19.3 | 62.1 ± 18.6 | .001 |
| Hispanic or non-white race | 985 (16.0%) | 756 (16.2%) | .72 |
| Female | 3,197 (51.9%) | 2,775 (59.6%) | < .001 |
| Preferred language other than English | 309 (5.0%) | 277 (6.0%) | .033 |
| Married | 3,155 (51.2%) | 2,368 (50.9%) | .72 |
| Primary insurance | .074 | ||
| Uninsured | 594 (9.6%) | 443 (9.5%) | |
| Private | 1,655 (26.9%) | 1,356 (29.1%) | |
| Medicaid | 587 (9.5%) | 435 (9.4%) | |
| Medicare | 3,322 (54.0%) | 2,419 (52.0%) | |
| Received prehospital medical care | 2,150 (34.9%) | 1,058 (22.7%) | < .001 |
| MEDS score | 5.1 ± 3.4 | 3.9 ± 3.1 | < .001 |
| SOFA score | 4.8 ± 2.9 | 4.0 ± 2.1 | < .001 |
| Weighted Elixhauser score | 6.7 ± 11.9 | 3.7 ± 9.6 | < .001 |
| Canadian triage acuity score | 2.4 ± 0.6 | 2.6 ± 0.5 | < .001 |
| Initial ED vital signs | |||
| Heart rate, beats/min | 105 ± 23 | 99 ± 21 | < .001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 129 ± 28 | 131 ± 26 | .004 |
| Respiratory rate, breaths/min | 21.5 ± 6.2 | 19.7 ± 4.6 | < .001 |
| Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 13 | 431 (7.0%) | 130 (2.8%) | < .001 |
| Initial ED laboratory results | |||
| Lactate >2 mmol/L | 2,359 (41.2%) | 1,321 (28.4%) | < .001 |
| WBC count (1,000/dL) | 13.5 ± 14.5 | 12.7 ± 10.5 | < .001 |
| Vasopressor within 24 h | 639 (10.4%) | 153 (3.3%) | < .001 |
| Admit to ICU | 2,174 (35.3%) | 908 (19.5%) | < .001 |
| 30-Day mortality | 565 (9.2%) | 322 (6.9%) | < .001 |
| 90-Day mortality | 769 (12.5%) | 506 (10.9%) | .010 |
| 1-Year mortality | 1,221 (19.8%) | 862 (18.5%) | .089 |
Data are presented as mean ± SD or No. (%). MEDS = Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis; SOFA = Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.