The recent Early Sepsis Prophylaxis Study determined that using four clinical goals in emergency rooms reduced the death rate in sepsis patients. The study, by medical staff at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, listed the sepsis bundle emergency room treatment as:
- Obtain blood cultures before giving antibiotics
- Administer lactate before 90 minutes
- Administer IV antibiotics before 180 minutes
- Give 30 cc/kg of IV fluids before 180 minutes
In the study, the bundle strategy was started in January 2012 on all emergency room patients studied with the diagnosis of sepsis or septic shock. The mean in-hospital death rate for the septic patient population dropped from 30 percent to 23 percent from the first quarter of the year to the last. The results of the bundle care showed improvement in the outcomes of patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock.
Sepsis or blood poisoning is a serious infection in the blood stream that can lead to an inflammatory response in the body. Common symptoms of sepsis include a high fever, flushed skin, elevated heart rate, hyperventilation, change in mental status, swelling or edema and low blood pressure. If not properly diagnosed and treated, it can lead to septic shock, organ failure, cardiac arrest and death.
If you or someone close to you feels there was a delay in diagnosing or treating sepsis you may want to contact a medical malpractice lawyer for a free consultation and additional information.
