Septic Shock: The Balance Between Fluid and Vasopressor Administration on Mortality SUMMARY Increasing doses of vasopressors within the first 6 hours are associated with increased mortality unless paired with at least 2,000 mL of fluid administration. Increasing vasopressor doses are associated with increasing mortality over the first 24 hours of septic shock. Additional evaluations
Efforts to Improve Sepsis Outcomes Before Hospitalization SUMMARY Most sepsis cases begin outside the hospital with a diverse range of clinical findings. Evaluation of sepsis patients should include administrative claims data coupled with physiologic and laboratory data. Characterization of sepsis prior to hospitalization can highlight key areas for education and preemptive care to improve
Can Progression from Sepsis to Septic Shock be Predicted? SUMMARY Approximately 10% of patients with sepsis will progress to septic shock. Septic Shock is associated with a high mortality rate of approximately 38%. Limited data exists determining which patients are at risk of progressing from sepsis to septic shock. A multi-centered large cohort of
Optimal Antimicrobial Treatment Duration in Sepsis SUMMARY There is limited guidance on the optimal duration of antimicrobial therapy for sepsis patients. Prolonged courses in severely ill patients is a common occurrence. With a lack of data, clinicians are left to consider a number of factors to define an adequate treatment course. BACKGROUND There is
Evaluation of Risk Adjustment on Hospital Sepsis Mortality SUMMARY The lack of a validated sepsis risk adjustment tool does not allow for a comparison of clinical outcomes across sites. Risk adjustment allows the evaluation of additional improvements such as identifying best practices, areas for improvement. A recent risk adjustment tool has been validated which
Association Between Temperature and Sepsis Mortality SUMMARY Temperature is an important determinant in sepsis patients. Hyperthermia is not the sole factor impacting outcomes. Hypothermia as well as normothermia contribute to poorer outcomes and need to be considered in any clinical assessment. BACKGROUND Body temperature (Bt) is a frequently measured integral vital sign. An ele
The Impact of Nursing Resources on Sepsis Outcomes SUMMARY Nurses play an important role in effective sepsis identification and management. The level of nursing resources varies across hospitals, with better resourced hospitals demonstrating improved clinical and economic sepsis outcomes. System level attention to nursing resource levels in sepsis should be evaluated. BACKGROUND Nurses have
The Uncertain Optimal Time for Antibiotics in Sepsis SUMMARY Most sepsis treatment protocols call for antibiotic administration as soon as possible. This practice may benefit patients with septic shock, it may be detrimental for those without shock. Forcing clinicians to sacrifice diagnostic accuracy for speed, may result in the overuse of antibiotics. BACKGROUND Advantages
Sepsis-2 vs Sepsis-3: The One Size Fits All Approach is Over Summary There is no gold stand definition for sepsis. Sepsis-2 definition captures a high level of inflammation, whereas Sepsis-3 definition is associated with a higher risk of death. Most ICU patients with infection meet both Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 definitions Better criteria are needed
Mortality with Early vs Late Renal Therapy in Sepsis Associated Acute Kidney Injury Summary Sepsis is the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. Timing of renal replacement therapy (RRT) has produced inconsistent results due to poor study designs and inconsistent definitions. Early identification and intervention may improve mortality from
