A New Approach to Improve Sepsis Outcomes

With more than 1.2 million Americans afflicted with sepsis annually, and 270,000 dying as a result, sepsis is a major public healthcare crisis. In the world of stroke, they say “time is brain.” In sepsis, “time is organ function.” Early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection.  If not recognized early and managed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death. Any type of infectious pathogen can potentially cause sepsis. As many as 80% of sepsis deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis. Sepsis is often difficult to recognize when it first presents itself because it can mimic other conditions. Education and awareness are vital for positive patient outcomes.

In this case study, a large US health system employed Amplifire to train its nurses in the early detection and treatment of sepsis. Although nurses were alerted through their electronic health record (EHR) of possible systematic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), a common response to sepsis, they needed to recognize sepsis symptoms to determine if the sepsis bundle, which includes antibiotics, should be administered.

Knowledge and Confidence about Sepsis before and after Amplifire