Sepsis-3 proposed a new definition of septic shock that excluded patients without hyperlactacidemia. The data from China might help to elucidate the prognosis of this special patient group. To study the clinical prognosis and factors affecting patients with sepsis based on data from Chinese intensive care units (ICUs). We conducted a retrospective, multicentre observational study in a larger Chinese cohort from January 1, 2014, to August 31, 2015. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to the presence or absence of hypotension/vasopressor delivery and hyperlactacidemia after fluid resuscitation. Descriptive statistics for the clinical characteristics were presented. The differences between groups were assessed. A survival curve was then plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Finally, to better understand the risk factors for the 28-day hospital mortality rates, Cox regression analysis was performed. In total, 1194 patients with sepsis were included: 282 with hypotension and hyperlactacidemia, 250 with hypotension but without hyperlactacidemia, 161 with hyperlactacidemia but without hypotension, and 501 without hypotension and hyperlactacidemia. The 28-day hospital mortality rates of the four groups were 48.2%, 43.2%, 26.1% and 24.8%, respectively. Age, the Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, hyperlactacidemia, hypotension, intra-abdominal infection and cancer increased the risk of the 28-day mortality, while soft tissue infection and coming from the operating room were associated with a decreased risk of mortality. Patients with hypotension but without hyperlactacidemia in the ICU also show a high 28-day mortality, and some clinical factors may affect their prognosis and must be treated carefully in the future. Copyright © 2021 by the Shock Society.