FCCS Sepsis and Infection Control Flashcards

Sepsis-3 defines sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, identified clinically by a SOFA score change of how many points?

Answer: ≥ 2 points

Sepsis-3 criteria use an acute SOFA score increase of ≥ 2 points to identify organ dysfunction associated with infection.

What is the recommended blood culture timing relative to antibiotic administration in septic shock?

Answer: Cultures drawn before antibiotics if possible, but antibiotics should NOT be delayed > 1 hour

Blood cultures should be obtained before antibiotics when possible, but initiating antibiotics within 1 hour of septic shock recognition takes priority over culture timing.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends completing a 30 mL/kg IV crystalloid bolus within how many hours of septic shock?

Answer: 3 hours

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Hour-1 Bundle recommends administering at least 30 mL/kg IV crystalloid within 3 hours of septic shock identification.

Which biomarker is most useful for monitoring antibiotic response and guiding de-escalation in sepsis?

Answer: Procalcitonin (PCT)

Serial procalcitonin levels fall with effective antibiotic therapy, and PCT-guided de-escalation reduces antibiotic duration without worsening outcomes.

A lactate level > 4 mmol/L in a suspected infection patient meets criteria for which condition regardless of blood pressure?

Answer: Septic shock (Sepsis-3 criteria)

Sepsis-3 defines septic shock as sepsis plus either vasopressor requirement to maintain MAP ≥ 65 or lactate > 2 mmol/L; lactate > 4 mmol/L alone strongly indicates high mortality risk equivalent to shock.

Which antibiotic combination provides both gram-negative and MRSA coverage for empiric septic shock therapy?

Answer: Vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam or meropenem

Vancomycin covers MRSA and gram-positive organisms, while piperacillin-tazobactam or meropenem covers broad gram-negative pathogens including Pseudomonas.