- pregnant or breast-feeding women - severe systemic disease (cancer, auto-immune etc) before infection accompanied by reduced life expectancy <6 months - participation in another trial of an investigational drug or device - corticosteroid use before initiation of treatment - sympathomimetic use before initiation of treatment (epinephrine, norepinephrine, dobutamine, dopamine, phenylephrine)

- pregnant or breast-feeding women - severe systemic disease (cancer, auto-immune etc) before infection accompanied by reduced life expectancy <6 months - participation in another trial of an investigational drug or device - corticosteroid use before initiation of treatment - sympathomimetic use before initiation of treatment (epinephrine, norepinephrine, dobutamine, dopamine, phenylephrine)