Similarly, only 2% of respondents said they are extremely knowledgeable about the differences among uncomplicated sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock; 27% said they are very knowledgeable; 61% said they are not too knowledgeable; 4% said they are not at all knowledgeable; and 6% said they are unsure how knowledgeable they are.
Few respondents were familiar with the Early Goal-Directed Therapy protocol or the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, and most admitted that the likelihood of missed sepsis diagnoses is high at their institution.
Most (about 85%) agreed that additional training would be extremely beneficial.
Although several challenges and hurdles exist with respect to improving sepsis outcomes in rural settings, including staffing issues, the lack of recognition of the extent of the problem, and the fact that sepsis is not yet a Joint Commission core measure, the results thus far of the Kansas Sepsis Project suggest positive change is within reach, Dr. Simpson said.
For more information about the project, click here.
The Kansas Sepsis Project is supported by the One Breath Foundation in the form of the Third Eli Lilly Distinguished Scholar in Critical Care Medicine Award. Dr. Simpson reported having no relevant financial disclosures.