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Specialists develop first-ever guidelines to treat sepsis

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, February 18, 2004

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Critical care specialists from 11 major medical societies have developed groundbreaking clinical guidelines aimed at decreasing the number of sepsis deaths worldwide by 25% over five years. The international coalition will unveil its recommendations February 24 at the annual meeting of the Society of Critical Care Medicine in Orlando, FL.

Sepsis is a common bloodstream infection that spreads rapidly and kills more than 200,000 people annually in the U.S. The incidence of severe sepsis has skyrocketed 329% in the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is estimated to affect 18 million people worldwide each year and kill 1,400 people each day. Until now, however, the medical community has lacked consensus on how to diagnose and treat the condition.

The unprecedented guidelines, therefore, outline key symptoms of the illness, including high fever, elevated heart rate, and low blood pressure. They call for the immediate use of powerful antibiotics, rather than waiting a few days for test results to identify the specific germ.

"If you wait that long, you've lost the battle," says Margaret Parker, MD, a co-author of the guidelines. Parker's coalition will urge physicians, health agencies, and governments worldwide to adopt its treatment guidelines.

"The goal of this whole project is to decrease the mortality of sepsis worldwide," said Parker, incoming president of the suburban Chicago-based Society of Critical Care Medicine, which represents more than 11,000 specialists.

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