Empirical Meropenem Versus Piperacillin/Tazobactam for Adult Patients With Sepsis
Trial Parameters
Brief Summary
The EMPRESS trial aims to test the two most commonly used antibiotics (meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam) among intensive care patients with sepsis (blood poisoning), as the safety of these two drugs is unclear in this group of patients.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Sepsis (including septic shock) defined according to the Sepsis-3 criteria (1), i.e., suspected or documented infection and an acute increase of ≥ 2 points in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (a marker of acute organ dysfunction) * Critical illness defined as use of at least one of the following: 1. Invasive mechanical ventilation 2. Non-invasive ventilation 3. Continuous use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for hypoxia 4. Oxygen supplementation with an oxygen flow of ≥ 10 litres (L)/minute independent of delivery system and total flows 5. Continuous infusion of any vasopressor or inotrope (excluding strictly procedure-related infusions) * Clinical indication for empirical treatment with either meropenem or piperacillin/tazobactam Exclusion Criteria: * Preceding intravenous treatment with meropenem or piperacillin/tazobactam for \> 24 hours prior to screening * Fertile women \< 60 years of age with known preg