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Sepsis and Mechanical Ventilation
- Essential components of the ED management of sepsis include early identification, antibiotics ASAP, fluid resuscitation, and maintaining adequate perfusion pressure.
- If patients continue to have evidence of shock (i.e. high lactate) despite adequate fluids and/or pressors, strongly consider intubation, even in the patient without acute respiratory decompensation.
- The respiratory muscles are avid consumers of oxygen and can use up to 50% of circulating O2.
- Intubation and paralysis not only increase available O2 to vital organs, it can also augment cardiac output for patients with persistent septic shock.