Main characteristics of patients with septic shock at ICU admission.

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] [41]. 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.