Collaborative approach of individual participant data of prospective studies of de-escalation in non-immunosuppressed critically ill patients with sepsis

<b>Background</b>: There is a concern to conduct de-escalation in very sick patients. <b>Aims</b>: To determine if de-escalation is feasible in ICU settings. <b>Methods</b>: We performed a metaanalysis of published studies conducted comparing de-escalation (defined by withdrawal of at least one antimicrobial empirically prescribed, switch to a new antimicrobial with narrower spectrum and withdrawal of at least one antimicrobial plus change of another drug to a new one with narrower spectrum) in non-immunocompromised patients with sepsis admitted to ICU. <b>Results</b>: Eight hundred and seventeen patients with severe sepsis or septic shock were evaluated. De-escalation was applied in 274 patients (33.5%). We found no differences in hospital long of stay between de-escalation group compared to those who did not receive it. We also found significant lower hospital mortality in de-escalation group as compared with no modification group in front of the others (25.9 vs. 43.1%; p <b>Conclusions</b>: In our study there was an independent association of de-escalation and decrease mortality rate.