Early Treatment for Sepsis Apparently Reduces Mortality
A new approach to treat sepsis was presented over the weekend at the annual meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). The protocol, Early Goal Directed Therapy (EGDT), entails early identification of sepsis coupled with aggressive treatment. Alan Jones, MD, of the Carolinas Medical Center presented one of the 545 abstracts selected for presentation during the SAEM 2007 event.
The approach entails screening for sepsis in the emergency room in order to facilitate treatment as soon as possible. Though the aggressive EGDT regimen is associated with longer hospital stays, it also has superior outcomes with a 33% relative decrease in mortality.
This dramatic improvement is noteworthy as severe blood infections (when certain bacteria get in the bloodstream) are the tenth cause of adult mortality in the US. Septicaemia is estimated to occur in 3 cases per 1,000 people with a mortality rate usually in the double digits. According to notes about a clinical trial for which Dr. Jones has been recruiting patients since last January, the total annual cost directly attributable to this disease is 16.7 billion dollars in the U.S. alone.
Related stories:
- Hopkins Model Improves Patient Safety
- Joint Commission Report Details Hospital Safety and Quality
- Improving Handwashing
May 22, 2007 Related topics: Diagnostic, Emergency