Summary

The Society of Critical Care Medicine reports that sepsis affects approximately 1.7 million patients each year, resulting in over 270,000 deaths¹. Sepsis carries a greater mortality than Breast Cancer and AIDS combined², costing over $24 billion dollars annually³. Early identification and treatment has been shown to reduce mortality by nearly 50% with the completion of the Sepsis Care bundles⁴. Over 85% of sepsis patients arrive to the hospital with Sepsis⁵, so an evidence-based process for early detection and treatment is key to reducing complications and mortality.

The Surviving Sepsis Guidelines are a systematic, standardized evidence-based approach to the early recognition and treatment of the sepsis patient. Average length of stay (LOS) for the septic shock patient is 16.5 days with a cost of approximately $19,000 per case⁶. Sepsis accounts for 13% of total U.S. hospital costs⁷, with early recognition in both the ED and ICU the average LOS can be reduced⁸. The use of the Sepsis Care bundles results in better patient outcomes, shorter length of stay, and an overall reduction in sepsis mortality⁹.

Understanding the evolution of the Sepsis Care bundles and how each member of the healthcare team can contribute to the recognition and treatment of sepsis is vital to the patient care process. A key component of treatment is utilizing the SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) criteria early in the ED and using the qSOFA (Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) after admission to help facilitate early sepsis recognition.

Learning Objectives

• Review the evolution of the Sepsis Care bundles
• Apply the SIRS and qSOFA criteria into practice
• Discuss tools in the risk stratification of patients diagnosed with sepsis
• Identify the spectrum of organ dysfunction involved in sepsis 

Continuing Education

One P.A.C.E.® contact hour will be provided for this basic level session. Abbott is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. • This session is approved for one Florida CE credit. Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel approved number: 50-12563 • This program has been approved by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) for 1.00 CERPs, Synergy CERP Category A, File Number 24306. Approval refers to recognition of continuing education only and does not imply AACN approval or endorsement of the content of this educational activity, or the products mentioned.

references

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021. Sepsis Clinical Information. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

2. UCLA Health. 2021. The World Sepsis Day Fact Sheet. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

3. Paoli, C., 2021. Epidemiology and Costs of Sepsis in the United States—An Analysis Based on Timing of Diagnosis and Severity Level. [online] NCBI. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

4. Vincent, J., 2021. Reducing mortality in sepsis: new directions. [online] NCBI. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

5. 2021. Sepsis Fact Sheet. [ebook] Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

6. Paoli, C., 2021. Epidemiology and Costs of Sepsis in the United States—An Analysis Based on Timing of Diagnosis and Severity Level. [online] NCBI. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

7. Padkin, A., 2021. Epidemiology of severe sepsis occurring in the first 24 hrs in intensive care units in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. [online] Society of Critical Care Medicine. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

8. Hackethal, V., 2018. Fewer Deaths After Sepsis Protocol Mandate. [online] Medscape. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021].

9. Hackethal, V., 2018. Fewer Deaths After Sepsis Protocol Mandate. [online] Medscape. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2021]

Author / SPEAKER

Lori Muhr, DNP, MHSM/MHA, APRN-Rx, ACNS-BC, CCRN, CEN, LSS-BBC
Clinical Nurse Specialist