INTRODUCTION.To determine the effectiveness of an educational program based on Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines to reduce sepsis mortality in several hospitals in Spain.METHODS.Eleven Spanish ICUs, in the South of Spain (Andalucia) were included in a prospective study.A multicentric study realised during 2005 and 2006.We determined the rate of compliance of the resuscitation bundle (first 6 h) and the management bundle (first 24 h) during 2 months before the educational program and 4 months after the educational program.RESULTS.Three hundred and thirty patients were enrolled in this analysis: severe sepsis (29.4%) or septic shock (70.6%) admitted in intensive care units.There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to base-line characteristics and severity of illness measured by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II were similar for both groups.Patients characteristics were as follows: age, 62 (60, 63) years; APACHE II score, 21 (20, 22).The main sources of infection were: lung (36.1%), abdomen (28.1%) and UTI (11%).CVP and Svc02 monitoring, antibiotics, fluid resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, inotropes, corticosteroides, and rhAPC were included in the educational program.The patients in the after EP period had measured more Svc02 (36.2 vs. 15.5%),CVP (45.7 vs. 39.9%) and lactate (27.7 vs. 23.2%)All patients received broad-spectrum antibiotics, patient in the after group received more corticosteroids (35 vs. 25%), a lower lactate (3.8 vs. 5.19 mmol/l), blood culture (47.4 vs. 37.5%), were more likely to receive intravenous fluids of [20 ml/kg body weight before vasopressor administration (38 vs. 36%), patient in the after group were less likely to require vasopressor (43 vs. 47%).In the after EP period these patients had a shorter length of stay in intensive care (238 vs. 280 h, we reduced the length in 15.1%) and shorter hospital length of stay (688 vs. 719 h).Mortality in ICU pre-EP was 43.8% and after-EP was 31.6%.The percentage of compliance with 6-h and 24-h bundle in the after-EP increased, respectively (9.85%, P \ 0.01 and 8.86%), total compliance was also 46.62%. CONCLUSIONS.Our study found the implementation of a standardized order set for the management of septic shock was associated with an important decreased of the mortality (12.2%), improving early and accurate diagnosis and increasing the use of appropriate treatment and interventions.