Purpose: To evaluate the effect of adherence to evidence-based guidelines of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) on the outcome of cirrhotic patients with septic shock admitted to the intensive care unit. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included 38 patients with documented liver cirrhosis and septic shock admitted to a multidisciplinary intensive care unit at a University Hospital from January 2005 to June 2009. In each patient, the compliance to 4 resuscitation (ie, 6-hour bundle) and to 3 management (i.e. 24-hour bundle) interventions recommended by the SSC guidelines and the 30-day mortality were measured. Results: The 6-hour, 24-hour, and all bundles were completed in 50 %, 52%, and 39% of the patients, respectively. The characteristics at admission and the 30-day mortality of patients with all-bundle compliance (n = 15; mortality 86.6%) were similar to those of patients without bundle compliance (n = 23; mortality 78.2%), except for central venous O2 saturation. Unadjusted and adjusted regression analysis showed that none of the single sepsis interventions and bundles were independently associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions: In our observational study, the adherence to the interventions recommended by the SSC evidence-based guidelines did not provide an improvement in the survival rate of cirrhotic patients with septic shock. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.