Main characteristics of patients with septic shock at ICU admission.

<p>ICU: intensive care unit. SAPS II: simplified acute physiology score II (referred to the first 24 h from admission). SOFA: sepsis-related organ failure assessment (referred to the first 24 h from admission). Norepinephrine equivalent dose was calculated as norepinephrine (µg/min)+[dopamine (µg/kg/min)÷2]+epinephrine (µg/min)+[phenylephrine (µg/min)÷10] <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0096205#pone.0096205-Russell1" target="_blank">[41]</a>. Central venous oxymetry was monitored in twenty-five patients; mixed venous oxymetry was monitored in five patients. Please note that most of the patients were firstly resuscitated in the Emergency Department and then transferred to the ICU.