Frank M Brunkhorst, Michael Oppert, Gernot Marx, Frank Bloos, Katrin Ludewig, Christian Putensen, Axel Nierhaus, Ulrich Jaschinski, Andreas Meier-Hellmann, Andreas Weyland, Matthias Gründling, Onnen Moerer, Reimer Riessen, Armin Seibel, Maximilian Ragaller, Markus W Büchler, Stefan John, Friedhelm Bach, Claudia Spies, Lorenz Reill, Harald Fritz, Michael Kiehntopf, Evelyn Kuhnt, Holger Bogatsch, Christoph Engel, Markus Loeffler, Marin H Kollef, Konrad Reinhart, Tobias Welte
CONTEXT: Early appropriate antimicrobial therapy leads to lower mortality rates associated with severe sepsis. The role of empirical combination therapy comprising at least 2 antibiotics of different mechanisms remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of moxifloxacin and meropenem with the effect of meropenem alone on sepsis-related organ dysfunction. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: A randomized, open-label, parallel-group trial of 600 patients who fulfilled criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock (n = 298 for monotherapy and n = 302 for combination therapy)...
June 13, 2012: JAMA