AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Sepsis Alert Program Leads to More Timely Diagnosis and Treatment, Reducing Morbidity, Mortality, and Length of Stay

Sepsis Alert Program Leads to More Timely Diagnosis and Treatment, Reducing Morbidity, Mortality, and Length of Stay


Associated QualityTool: Surviving Sepsis Campaign (3/3/2010)
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Surviving Sepsis Campaign

Snapshot
Summary
The Sepsis Alert Program at Christiana Care is a care management program that incorporates a number of initiatives—including use of screening criteria, an antibiotic recommendation sheet, a treatment order set and protocol, and a medication kit—to support the prompt identification and treatment of patients who have sepsis. The program has led to significant decreases in mortality, morbidity, length of stay, and time to antibiotic administration and fluid resuscitation.

See the Results section for updated information about reductions in severe sepsis/septic shock–related mortality, morbidity, and length of stay and increases in discharges to home, fluid resuscitation, and antibiotics administration (updated October 2010).

Evidence Rating
Moderate: The evidence consists of before-and-after comparisons of key clinical outcomes measures.

Developing Organizations
Christiana Care Health System
Newark, DE

Date First Implemented
2005

Patient Population

Geographic Location > Region; Vulnerable Populations > Intensive care unit patients

full-text:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Sepsis Alert Program Leads to More Timely Diagnosis and Treatment, Reducing Morbidity, Mortality, and Length of Stay