Sepsis—Recognition, Diagnosis, and Management in Adult Patients

Abstract

Sepsis is defined as life- threatening organ dysfunction caused by a detrimental host response to infection. Septic shock is a subset of sepsis in which underlying circulatory and cellular abnormalities are profound enough to substantially increase mortality. Septic shock is characterized by: ● The need for vasopressors to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) > 65mmHg despite adequate volume resuscitation. ● A serum lactate > 2mmol/L In lay terms, it is hypoperfusion with evidence of metabolic derangement. The mortality for both criteria is ~40%, compared to 20–30% for a single item. Please also refer to: https:// www.nice.org.uk/ guidance/indevelopment/gid-cgwave0686 The old definitions of sepsis described a heterogeneous group of patients and did not discriminate between infectious and non- infectious causes such as pancreatitis and trauma. The new definitions also allow easier recognition, based on a combination of symptoms and signs. Key parameters include: decreased level of consciousness, rigors, severe myalgia, high or low temperature, pulse > 130/min, systolic blood pressure < 90mmHg, respiratory rate (RR) > 25/ min, creatinine > 170μmol/ L, platelets < 100 x 109/l and bilirubin > 33μmol/ L. The Clinical Quality Commission recommend that NHS trusts use the national early warning score (NEWS), and a score > 5 is an indication to consider moving a patient to critical care. SIRS is defined as any of the two following criteria: acutely altered mental state, temperature < 36°C or > 38°C, pulse > 90/ min, RR > 20/ min, WCC > 12 or < 4 x 109/L and hyperglycaemia in the absence of diabetes mellitus. In the former definitions (1991 and 2001), sepsis was defined as infection plus SIRS. SIRS, however, was not good at separating infected patients who died from those who recovered from infection. SIRS was often an appropriate reaction to infection and many hospitalized patients meet the SIRS criteria. Also, as many as one in eight patients admitted to critical care units with infection and new organ failure did not have two SIRS criteria required to fulfil the sepsis definition. SIRS is no longer part of the new definitions.