Table 1

Summary of recommendations of the WHO and the different societies

	Reference recommendation	Population	WHO1	ANZ7	BEL8	CAN9	NHC10	NIH11	SSC12	ICM13	UTD14
#1	Initial oxygen therapy	Patients with SARI and respiratory distress, hypoxaemia or shock	Target SpO₂ ≥94%	N/A	N/A	Target SpO₂ ≥94%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
#2	Maintenance oxygen therapy	Patients stabilised after initial oxygen therapy	Target SpO₂ >90%	N/A	N/A	Target SpO₂ 90–96%	N/A	Target SpO₂ 92–96%	Target SpO₂ 92–96%	Target SpO₂ 92–96%	Target SpO₂ 90–96%
#3	Empiric antimicrobials	Patients with SARI and sepsis	Empiric antimicrobials within 1 hour of the initial assessment	Empiric antimicrobials within 1 hour of the initial assessment	N/A	Empiric antimicrobials within 1 hour of the initial assessment	Blind or inappropriate use of antimicrobials should be avoided	N/A	Empiric antimicrobials in mechanically ventilated patients with respiratory failure	N/A	N/A
#4	Fluid management	Patients with SARI	Conservative strategy	Conservative strategy	N/A	Conservative strategy	N/A	N/A	Conservative strategy	N/A	Conservative strategy
#5	Neuromuscular blockade	Patients with moderate-severe ARDS (PaO₂/FiO₂<150)	No routine neuromuscular blockade use by continuous infusion	N/A	N/A	No routine neuromuscular blockade use by continuous infusion	N/A	Continuous NMBA infusion to facilitate protective lung ventilation	No routine neuromuscular blockade use by continuous infusion	N/A	No routine neuromuscular blockade use by continuous infusion
#6	Thromboprophylaxis	Patients with SARI	Pharmacological prophylaxis if without contraindications	No pharmacological prophylaxis	N/A	Pharmacological prophylaxis if without contraindications	Pharmacological prophylaxis if without contraindications	N/A	N/A	N/A	Pharmacological prophylaxis if without contraindications
#7	Stress ulcer prevention	Patients with SARI	Administer histamine-2 receptor blockers or proton pump inhibitors in patients with risk factors for GI bleeding	N/A	N/A	Administer histamine-2 receptor blockers or proton pump inhibitors in patients with risk factors for GI bleeding	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
#8	Resuscitation for septic shock (1)	Patients with septic shock	Administration of crystalloid fluid	N/A	N/A	Administration of crystalloid fluid	N/A	Administration of crystalloid fluid	Administration of crystalloid fluid	N/A	N/A
#9	Resuscitation for septic shock (2)	Patients with septic shock	Use of hypotonic crystalloids, starches or gelatins is not allowed	N/A	N/A	Use of hypotonic crystalloids, starches or gelatins is not allowed	N/A	Use of hypotonic crystalloids, starches or gelatins is not allowed	Use of hypotonic crystalloids, starches or gelatins is not allowed	N/A	N/A
#10	Vasopressor for septic shock (1)	Patients in whom septic shock persists during or after fluid resuscitation	Norepinephrine is considered the first-line treatment	N/A	N/A	Norepinephrine is considered the first-line treatment	N/A	Norepinephrine is considered the first-line treatment	Norepinephrine is considered the first-line treatment	N/A	N/A
#11	Vasopressor for septic shock (2)	Patients who received vasopressor for septic shock	Target MAP ≥65 mmHg	N/A	N/A	Target MAP ≥60 mmHg	N/A	N/A	Target MAP 60–65 mmHg	N/A	N/A
#12	Inotrope for septic shock	Patients in whom poor perfusion and cardiac dysfunction persist despite achieving MAP target	An inotrope is considered	N/A	N/A	An inotrope is considered	N/A	An inotrope is considered	An inotrope is considered	N/A	N/A
#13	Systemic corticosteroids	Patients with SARI	No routine systemic corticosteroids use	No routine systemic corticosteroids use	No routine systemic corticosteroids use	No routine systemic corticosteroids use	Systemic corticosteroids in patients with progressive deterioration of oxygenation indicators, rapid progress in imaging and excessive activation of the body's inflammatory response	Low-dose corticosteroid therapy in patients with refractory shock	Systemic corticosteroids In mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS	No routine systemic corticosteroids use	Low-dose corticosteroid therapy for ICU patients who require oxygen supplementation and selected patients with refractory shock

ANZ, Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; BEL, Belgium; CAN, Canada; FiO₂, percentage of inspired oxygen; GI, gastrointestinal; ICM, a collaboration of Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, Intensive Care Society, Association of Anaesthetists and Royal College of Anaesthetists of the UK; ICU, intensive care unit; MAP, mean arterial pressure; N/A, no concrete recommendation available; NHC, National Health Commission of China; NIH, US National Institutes of Health; NMBA, neuromuscular blocking agent; PaO₂, partial pressure of arterial oxygen; SARI, severe acute respiratory infection; SpO₂, oxygen saturation; SSC, Surviving Sepsis Campaign; UTD, UpToDate (UTD) point-of-care resources; WHO, World Health Organization.