Antibiotics, Sedatives, and Catecholamines Further Compromise Sepsis-Induced Immune Suppression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

We hypothesized that the immunosuppressive effects associated with antibiotics, sedatives, and catecholamines amplify sepsis-associated immune suppression through mitochondrial dysfunction, and there is a cumulative effect when used in combination. We thus sought to determine the impact of the exemplar drugs ciprofloxacin, propofol, and norepinephrine, used alone and in combination, at clinically relevant concentrations, on the ex vivo functionality of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) drawn from healthy, infected, and septic individuals.