Editor’s Note: In this video interview, Dr. Ken Rothfield urges his fellow clinicians to monitor patients for sepsis. Says Dr. Rothfeld, “patient monitoring can alert you at the earliest possible moment when sepsis is developing.”
Clinical studies have found mortality is significantly reduced if septic patients are identified at early stages of the disease process. Anand Kumar, MD (Critical Care Medicine, Health Sciences Centre/St. Boniface Hospital, University of Manitoba) and his colleagues in “Duration of hypotension before initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy is the critical determinant of survival in human septic shock” found in their research that early detection and treatment of sepsis is akey to reduced morbidity and mortality:
Mortality is significantly reduced if septic patients are identified at early stages of the disease process #sepsis #patientsafety Click To Tweet
Administration of an antimicrobial effective for isolated or suspected pathogens within the first hour of documented hypotension was associated with a survival rate of 79.9%. Each hour of delay in antimicrobial administration over the ensuing 6 hrs was associated with an average decrease in survival of 7.6%. By the second hour after onset of persistent/recurrent hypotension, in-hospital mortality rate was significantly increased relative to receiving therapy within the first hour (odds ratio 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.48).
Monitoring a patient’s heart rate and respiratory rate lets clinicians find changes over time while supporting hospital protocols for early sepsis detection. In the video, Dr. Rothfield urges his fellow clinicians to monitor for sepsis:
I would like you to commit to early detection and treatment of sepsis, because you may not get a second chance to save your patient’s life.
But, first, you have to know when your patient is suffering from sepsis. You must know at the earliest possible time when sepsis is occurring. Clinical studies show that mortality is significantly reduced if septic patients are identified at early stages of the disease process. In my own case, I was admitting on Thursday, by Friday I was septic, but it was not until Saturday that emergency surgery was performed which removed a section of gangrenous intestine. In my opinion, this can best be done through patient monitoring, which would have been able to provide early detection of my sepsis and I could have had earlier intervention.
Monitoring a patient’s heart rate and respiratory rate allows clinicians to detect changes over time while supporting hospital protocols for early detection of sepsis. Although nursing assessments taken every few hours may detect sepsis, patient monitoring can alert you at the earliest possible moment when sepsis is developing.
You may not get a second chance to save your patient’s life – monitor for sepsis.
Dr. Ken Rothfield - You may not get a second chance to save your patient’s life - monitor for #sepsis. Click To TweetAs the Sepsis Alliance urges:
“Early detection is the best hope to survive and limit disabilities when sepsis is present.”
In the video, Dr. Rothfield also discusses 5 keys to reducing sepsis:
- Be Committed to Early Detection and Treatment of Sepsis
- Monitor for Sepsis
- Treat Sepsis Early
- Work Collaboratively
- Be Open to Using New Technology
Dr. Rothfield is a member of PPAHS’s board of advisors. PPAHS is proud to be invited to be a member of the Sepsis Alliance and the Global Sepsis Alliance. Both www.sepsis.org and www.global-sepsis-alliance.org are great resources and information about sepsis.
To read a transcript of the video, please click here.
To watch the video with Dr. Rothfield, please click here.