Practice Patterns in the Initiation of Secondary Vasopressors and Adjunctive Corticosteroids during Septic Shock in the US.

RATIONALE A central component of septic shock treatment is the infusion of vasopressors, most commonly starting with norepinephrine. However, the optimal approach and practice patterns to initiating adjunctive vasopressors and corticosteroids are unknown. OBJECTIVES To characterize practice pattern variation in the norepinephrine dose at which secondary vasopressors and adjunctive corticosteroids are initiated and to identify factors associated with a treatment strategy favoring secondary vasopressors to a treatment strategy favoring adjunctive corticosteroids among patients with septic shock on norepinephrine. METHODS We used a multicenter ICU database to identify patients with septic shock who were started on norepinephrine followed by an additional vasopressor or corticosteroids. We used multi-level models to determine the hospital risk-adjusted norepinephrine dose at which additional vasopressors and corticosteroids were started, the percentage of variation in norepinephrine dose at the time of adjunctive treatment associated with hospital of admission, and the factors associated with choosing an 'additional vasopressor first' strategy vs. a 'corticosteroid first' strategy. RESULTS Among 4,401 patients with septic shock on norepinephrine, 1940 (44.0%) were started on adjuncts (1357 received an 'additional vasopressor first' strategy and 583 received a "corticosteroid first strategy). The hospital risk-adjusted norepinephrine dose at which vasopressors were initiated ranged 6.4 mcg/min (95% CI 5.9-7.0 mcg/min) to 92.6 mcg/min (95% CI 72.8-113.0 mcg/min). The hospital risk-adjusted norepinephrine dose at which corticosteroids was initiated ranged 3.0 mcg/min (95% CI 2.4-3.8 mcg/min) to 32.7 mcg/min (95% CI 24.9-43.0 mcg/min). 25.1% (intraclass correlation coefficient 95% CI 24.8%, 25.5%) of the variation in norepinephrine dose at which additional vasopressors were initiated was explained by hospital site after adjusting for all hospital- and patient-level covariates. Hospital of admission was strongly associated with receiving an 'additional vasopressor first' over a 'corticosteroids first' strategy (median odds ratio 3.28 (95% CI 2.81-3.83)). CONCLUSIONS Practice patterns for adjunctive therapies to norepinephrine during septic shock are variable and are determined in large part by hospital of admission. These results inform several future studies seeking to improve septic shock management.