Preventing, identifying, and managing sepsis in the community: research and clinical priorities.

Abstract

Sepsis, defined as life-threatening acute organ dysfunction due to infection, is generally considered a hospital-based issue. However, sepsis usually begins in the community, where knowledge of sepsis is scarce, diagnosis is difficult, and resources vary. Community-based interventions might offer the best opportunity for prevention, prompt diagnosis, and improved outcomes. In this Viewpoint, we address current gaps and limitations in understanding of sepsis in the community and outline research priorities, clinical priorities, and existing initiatives across four domains: mitigation (ie, reduction of population-based sepsis risk), monitoring (ie, screening for sepsis in individuals at high risk of sepsis), measurement (ie, identification of sepsis in the community), and management (ie, treatment of sepsis in the community). We propose a pathway to improve the care of individuals with, or at risk of, sepsis in the community and delineate the next steps to advance the field.