Be aware that signs and symptoms are extremely variable and often non-specific.Īssess acute deterioration using your clinical judgement alongside a validated scoring system, such as the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) consult local guidelines for the recommended scoring system at your institution.

Your clinical judgement is crucial to how you approach the individual patient. By the time the diagnosis becomes obvious, with multiple abnormal physiological parameters, risk of mortality is very high. The key to improving outcomes is early recognition and prompt treatment, as appropriate, of patients with suspected or confirmed infection who are deteriorating and at risk of organ dysfunction.

Remember that sepsis represents the severe, life-threatening end of infection.

Think ‘ Could this be sepsis?’ whenever an acutely unwell person presents with likely infection, even if their temperature is normal. Sepsis should be suspected in an acutely deteriorating patient in whom there is clinical evidence or strong suspicion of infection.

Septic shock septic system treatment