An educational program for the identification and treatment of sepsis implemented in coordination with rapid response care teams can result in significant reductions in sepsis death rates, according to a study published in the Journal of Critical Care in April.
For the study, researchers reviewed data on sepsis patients treated at UF Health Jacksonville (Fla.) between Oct. 1, 2013, and Nov. 10, 2015. The patients were divided into two groups: those who were treated before the implementation of a hospital-wide sepsis alert program and those treated after the program's initiation. Analysis revealed the program to be associated with a 10 percent reduction in sepsis deaths with 226 such deaths occurring prior to the intervention and 202 deaths occurring after.
"The research team concluded that a comprehensive program for sepsis recognition and management is associated with improved outcomes," said Faheem Guirgis, MD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at UF Health Jacksonville and the study's lead author. "Though it might seem obvious, it's critical that hospitals throughout the country build a team approach to sepsis care, beginning with education. It takes a team to recognize and treat this potentially deadly issue."
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