Chul Park, Nam Su Ku, Dae Won Park, Joo Hyun Park, Tae Sun Ha, Do Wan Kim, So Young Park, Youjin Chang, Kwang Wook Jo, Moon Seong Baek, Yijun Seo, Tae Gun Shin, Gina Yu, Jongmin Lee, Yong Jun Choi, Ji Young Jang, Yun Tae Jung, Inseok Jeong, Hwa Jin Cho, Ala Woo, Sua Kim, Dae-Hwan Bae, Sung Wook Kang, Sun Hyo Park, Gee Young Suh, Sunghoon Park
Acute Crit Care. 2024;39(4):445-472. Published online November 18, 2024
Background Despite recent advances and global improvements in sepsis recognition and supportive care, mortality rates remain high, and adherence to sepsis bundle components in Korea is low. To address this, the Korean Sepsis Alliance, affiliated with the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine, developed the first sepsis treatment guidelines for Korea based on a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods A de novo method was used to develop the guidelines. Methodologies included determining key questions, conducting a literature search and selection, assessing the risk of bias, synthesizing evidence, and developing recommendations. The certainty of evidence and the strength of recommendations were determined using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach. Draft recommendations underwent internal and external review processes and public hearings. The development of these guidelines was supported by a research grant from the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Results In these guidelines, we focused on early treatments for adult patients with sepsis and septic shock. Through the guideline development process, 12 key questions and their respective recommendations were formulated. These include lactate measurement, fluid therapies, target blood pressure, antibiotic administration, use of vasopressors and dobutamine, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and echocardiography.
Conclusions These guidelines aim to support medical professionals in making appropriate decisions about treating adult sepsis and septic shock. We hope these guidelines will increase awareness of sepsis and reduce its mortality rate.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Comparison between norepinephrine plus epinephrine and norepinephrine plus vasopressin after return of spontaneous circulation in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Sejoong Ahn, Bo-Yeong Jin, Sukyo Lee, Jong-Hak Park, Hanjin Cho, Sungwoo Moon, Sang Kuk Han, Phil Cho Choi, Young Hwan Lee, Sang O. Park, Jong Seok Lee, Ki Young Jeong, Sung Hyuk Choi, Young Hoon Yoon, Su Jin Kim, Kap Su Han, Min Seob Sim, Gun Tak Lee, Yo Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Recommendations for the use of biomarkers for the management of adults with sepsis: a scoping review and critical appraisal Miriam Mateos-Haro, Ana Garcia-Santa-Vinuela, Daniel Molano-Franco, Ivan Solà, Federico Gordo-Vidal, María Cruz Martín-Delgado, Jesus Lopez-Alcalde, Javier Zamora BMJ Open.2025; 15(7): e090922. CrossRef
Regional Adherence to Early Sepsis Management Bundle and Associated Mortality in Hong Kong Between 2009–2018 Jack Zhenhe Zhang, Chun Hei Chan, Lok Ching Chang, Lok Ching Sandra Chiu, Pauline Yeung Ng, Manimala Dharmangadan, Eunise Ho, Steven Ling, Man Yee Man, Ka Man Fong, Ting Liong, Alwin Wai Tak Yeung, Ka Fai Au, Jacky Ka Hing Chan, Michele Tang, Katy Hoi Ki Open Forum Infectious Diseases.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Outcomes of septic shock from urinary and non-urinary sources in nonagenarians and centenarians admitted to intensive care units Je Min Suh, Laurence Weinberg, Nattaya Raykateeraroj, Jerry Lim, Angelina Yoon, David Pilcher, Dong-Kyu Lee Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Association between emergency department–to–intensive care unit transfer time and mortality in patients with septic shock: a target trial emulation with septic shock in South Korea Ji Hyun Cha, Danbee Kang, Ryoung-Eun Ko, Won Young Kim, Dong-gon Hyun, Yeon Joo Lee, Woo Hyun Cho, Sunghoon Park, Juhee Cho, Gee Young Suh Acute and Critical Care.2025; 40(4): 548. CrossRef
Early Versus Delayed Norepinephrine Initiation in Septic Shock: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized and Observational Studies Chibuzo C Manafa, Oluwayemisi E Ekor, Akintunde C Akinboboye, Okelue E Okobi, Gift Ojukwu, Osemwegie O Ugbo, Michael U Mochu, Emasenyie Isikwei, Sergio Hernandez Borges, Miguel Diaz-Miret Cureus.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Quality assessment of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and variations in recommendations Hong-Yan Li, Shan-Ling Jiang, Jing Wang, Hai-Shan Wang, Li-Hong Wang BMC Infectious Diseases.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Evidence-Based Interventions for Sepsis Management in Critically Ill Adults: A Systematic Review Elsa Jardim Sousa, Michelle de Soresa Virissimo, Abel Mendonça Viveiros, Ana Alves, Valter Gonçalves European Journal of Medical and Health Research.2025; 3(6): 232. CrossRef
Sangshin Park, Min Kim, Dae In Lee, Ju-Hee Lee, Sangmin Kim, Sang Yeub Lee, Jang-Whan Bae, Kyung-Kuk Hwang, Dong-Woon Kim, Myeong-Chan Cho, Dae-Hwan Bae
Acute Crit Care. 2024;39(1):194-198. Published online May 11, 2022
The main mechanism of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is catecholamine-induced acute myocardial stunning. Pheochromocytoma, a catecholamine-secreting tumor, can cause several cardiovascular complications, including hypertensive crisis, myocardial infarction, toxic myocarditis, and TCM. A 29-year-old woman presented to our hospital with general weakness, vomiting, dyspnea, and chest pain. The patient was nullipara, 28 weeks’ gestation, and had a cachexic morphology. Her cardiac enzyme levels were elevated and bedside echocardiography showed apical akinesia, suggesting TCM. The next day, she could not feel the fetal movement, and an emergency cesarean section was performed. After delivery, the patient experienced cardiac arrest and was transferred to the intensive care unit for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Spontaneous circulation returned after 28 minutes of CPR, but cardiogenic shock continued, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was initiated. On the third day of ECMO maintenance, left ventricular ejection fraction improved and blood pressure stabilized. On the eighth day after ECMO insertion, it was removed. However, complications of the left leg vessels occurred, and several surgeries and interventions were performed. A left adrenal gland mass was found on computed tomography and was removed while repairing the leg vessels. Pheochromocytoma was diagnosed and left adrenalectomy was performed.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Mechanical Circulatory Support in Paraganglioma Induced Cardiogenic Shock and Intestinal Ischemia: Lessons from a Complex Case and Narrative Review Alessio Giordano, Letizia Canu, Manuela Mastronardi, Luisa Petrone, Clotilde Sparano, Mauro Marzano, Carlo Bergamini, Paolo Prosperi Journal of Clinical Medicine.2025; 14(16): 5882. CrossRef
ECMO‐Assisted Da Vinci Robotic Surgery for Pheochromocytoma‐Induced Acute Catecholamine Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report Qi Wang, Jiayan Xin, Xiaoqiong Cui, Liya Hu, Meng Ning, Wenqing Gao, Yingwu Liu Clinical Case Reports.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Mechanical Circulatory Support Strategies in Takotsubo Syndrome with Cardiogenic Shock: A Systematic Review Johanna K. R. von Mackensen, Vanessa I. T. Zwaans, Ahmed El Shazly, Karel M. Van Praet, Roland Heck, Christoph T. Starck, Felix Schoenrath, Evgenij V. Potapov, Joerg Kempfert, Stephan Jacobs, Volkmar Falk, Leonhard Wert Journal of Clinical Medicine.2024; 13(2): 473. CrossRef
Pheochromocytoma-induced cardiogenic shock requiring ECMO: cardiovascular recovery prior to surgical resection Toby Adrian Redler, Zohra Mohtat-Nasri, Brielle Williams, Philip Townend BMJ Case Reports.2024; 17(12): e262827. CrossRef