ABSTRACT
Sepsis has gained increasing publicity in recent years, and there is now a strong focus of clinical education and training following the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. The assessment and management of a septic patients is far from simple and requires a systematic approach in both identifying and managing the condition. This second part explores sepsis care bundles and the research that underpins each of the interventions. These discussions will enable nurses to understand why each component of the sepsis care bundle is important and thus enable them to rapidly prioritise care, as early effective interventions have been shown to optimise patient outcomes.
Subject(s)
Hyperglycemia/nursing , Hypotension/nursing , Hypoxia/nursing , Nursing Assessment , Patient Care Bundles , Sepsis/nursing , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Disease Management , Fluid Therapy/methods , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Insulin/therapeutic use , Oxygen Inhalation Therapy/methods , Respiration, Artificial , Vasoconstrictor Agents/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Sepsis has gained increasing publicity in recent years, and is now a strong focus of clinical education and training following the launch of the 'Surviving Sepsis' campaign. The assessment and management of a septic patient are far from simple and requires a systematic approach in both identifying and managing the condition. This two-part series explores the assessment and management of a septic patient, with this article emphasising the need to identify the signs and symptoms of sepsis at the early stages if positive patient outcomes are to be realised. The ABCDE approach to patient assessment is explored in the context of sepsis, as this approach can ensure the nurse will identify sepsis as opposed to the basic method of only performing vital observations.