Impacts of Diagnosis of Sepsis during Initial Stage on Survival rates of Patients

Impacts of Diagnosis of Sepsis during Initial Stage on Survival rates of Patients

Stamataki et al. stated that Sepsis Six is referred to as the range of behaviors adopted by the team of healthcare professionals at the organizational level for contributing to the diagnosis of sepsis (64). The Sepsis Six includes the ability of nurses to identify unwell patients and diagnose sepsis in the initial, the contribution of junior doctors in diagnosing sepsis during the initial stages and the integrated efforts performed by the healthcare professionals in escalating the patient, perform blood cultures and carrying out the administration of oxygen levels, fluid levels, and antibiotics prescription.

Stamataki et al. revealed that the Sepsis 6 is essential to care bundle, such that the inclusion of the vital measures including the assessment of antibiotic administration, and analysis of the intravenous fluid levels contribute to the treatment of sepsis (64). In this regard, this research considered the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), which is one of the tools from the behavioral science for identifying the barriers as well as facilitators towards the implementation of Sepsis Six within the healthcare organization.

Impacts of Diagnosis of Sepsis during Initial Stage on Survival rates of Patients

The surviving sepsis campaign was proposed as the global initiative for enlightening the survival rates of the sepsis individuals. However, the confirmation reported that triggering the evidence-based system required the identification of sepsis during the initial stages and initiating the timely management reaction. Torsvik et al., mentioned that sepsis is most often acknowledged through detecting the critical signs and identifying the structure failure within the emergency units (245). Though, there is minimized emphasis concerning the analysis of the sepsis diagnosis and management in the ward. This research aimed to investigate whether or not the implementation of the clinical sepsis triage tools, SIRS, and tissue failure at the ward is expected to make significant developments in the clinical observations as well as improving the rate of survival among in-patients.

Torsvik et al. evaluated the health outcomes of patients before and after the implementation of the intervention in one community and emergency hospital around the United Kingdom (245). The tester population considered for this study was employed by spending particular inclusion criteria, such that all patients admitted for this research had confirmed bloodstream infection. Selecting the research participants based on inclusion criteria assures the recruitment of most appropriate research participants within research (Torsvik et al. 245). Also, Torsvik et al. (245) also confirmed the severity of sepsis, the observations related to vital signs of patients, the treatment-related data, the duration of hospitalization, and the levels of dependency of patients from the clinical records of patients.

Torsvik et al. noted that after the delivery of the intervention, the patients were found to have high surviving levels, the lesser likelihood of growing tissue failure, and reduction in the length of hospital stay, as associated with the pre-intervention group (Torsvik et al. 246). The study results declared that the early recognition of sepsis by the nursing professionals resulted in a reduction of progression of the disease and contributed an improvement in rates of survival among the inpatients hospitalized due to sepsis.

Another study carried out by Stamataki et al. (66) discovered that sepsis represents a significant public health burden. For this research, the local, national health, and social care organizations in the UK have been focusing on the diagnosis of sepsis during the initial stages. The study conducted by Stamataki et al. aimed to examine the possible aspects that were analytical of thirty days of death among the sepsis individuals (66). The researcher had demonstrated the research aim, which is the potential asset of this study. This exploratory investigation was conducted by acquiring permission from the concerned authorities; therefore, ethical considerations have been fulfilled by the scholars. The examination accompanied by using ethical standards is considered high-quality research, due to taking measures of causing no harm to the research participants (Stamataki et al., 66).

Conclusion

Analyzing the data presented by the considered research articles, it has been noted that the knowledge, as well as the awareness of nursing specialist levels and other clinicians, produce a considerable part in the sepsis diagnosis during the early stages. The study results carried out by Burney et al. (513) and Stamataki et al. revealed that the nursing professionals possess limited knowledge concerning the symptoms and signs of sepsis and its treatment due to which sepsis is most often recognized at the advanced stage (66). The analysis of awareness and knowledge levels of the nurses about sepsis revealed that only nurses possess reasonable information about the signs and symptoms of sepsis, such that the healthcare organizations having effective sepsis treatment are the healthcare organizations having the ICUs. Besides, the nurses also reported possessing limited knowledge about sepsis management due to less effective protocols and regulations for sepsis management. Stamataki et al. reflected that the healthcare organization must arrange training and education sessions for the nursing professionals, allowing them to proficiently recognize the symptoms of sepsis during the initial stages (66).

The second theme considered for this research discussed sepsis management interventions and protocols, and barriers associated with the implementation of these protocols. Burney et al. (513) managed and addressed the efficacy of the clinical care pathway for the diagnosis of sepsis during the initial stages and recommended the implementation of clinical pathways for sepsis management. Burney et al. (514) also stated that the application of CDS could also be effectively utilized for the diagnosis of sepsis in inpatients. However, despite the efficacy of these interventions, inadequate resources, and training opportunities for the clinicians diminish the likelihood of effective sepsis management.

Burney et al. discussed the barriers to effective implementation of Sepsis Six protocols. Insufficient team audits, feedback, poor communication between team members, and concerns related to the utilization of resources for the diagnosis of sepsis were barriers to implementation of the protocol. Besides, limitations in terms of useful plans for implementing resources also have a significant influence on the identification and treatment of sepsis among the adult in-patients. Moreover, ambiguities associated with the resolution of the practical issues during the implementation of protocols of sepsis management were also significant barriers to the diagnosis of sepsis in the initial. The efficacy of the treatment protocols cannot be assured without removing potential barriers to effective implementation of treatment protocols (515)

Healthcare organizations across the globe have been focusing on the diagnosis of sepsis during the initial stages. Torsvik et al. (246) and Burney et al. (515) presented that in most of the cases, sepsis has been acknowledged through witnessing essential symbols and identifying tissue disaster inside the emergency units. However, there has been less emphasis on the diagnosis of sepsis inwards. The early recognition of sepsis by the nursing professionals are likely to result in a reduction of progression of the disease. Carrying out an assessment of the history of hospital-acquired sepsis, hypotension after using vasopressors, the increment in lactate concentration, constant fever, and fluid refractory hypotension within the hospital inpatients can contribute to the diagnosis of sepsis in the initial stages. The determination of sepsis among the inpatients can contribute to improvement in rates of survival among the inpatients hospitalized due to sepsis.

Recommendations and Future Implications

The research outcomes revealed that limited knowledge of the nursing professionals about the diagnosis of signs and symptoms of sepsis is a highly substantial obstacle to the diagnosis of sepsis during the initial stages. In this regard, healthcare organizations are required to pay more concentration on implementing the protocols for analyzing the sepsis signs and symptoms during the early phases. In addition, healthcare organizations must also focus on arranging education and training about sepsis, allowing the nursing professionals to recognize the signs of sepsis during the initial stages proficiently, and contributing to effective sepsis management.

The clinical pathways application and CDS are essential for the enhancement of the health outcomes of the individuals having sepsis (Burney et al., 520). The Sepsis Six protocol is useful for sepsis management and identification. Therefore, healthcare organizations are necessary to accurately assess the obstacles to the application of the Sepsis Six protocol to form strategies for facilitating the diagnosis of sepsis during the initial stages. In this regard, healthcare organizations must focus on overcoming the barriers created due to inadequate resources, and deficiency of training opportunities concerning the clinicians hindering the identification of sepsis in initial stages. Besides, the healthcare management must also focus on dealing with the issues of the absence of the educational and feedback plans for the staff of healthcare and focus on effective planning for implementing resources for diagnosis and controlling of sepsis amongst the adult in-patients (Burney et al., 520). The considered evidence also recommended that healthcare management must also focus on the resolution of the practical issues during the implementation of protocols of sepsis management.

The healthcare organizations must also focus on the implementation of the clinical tools of triage of sepsis for increasing the likelihood of sepsis survival individuals (Torsvik et al. 246). Besides, healthcare organizations must also focus on the sepsis diagnosis and management in the ward. In the light of evidence acquired from this research, the clinicians must focus on keeping more concentration on the patients having the history of hospital-acquired sepsis, increased lactate concentration, constant fever and fluid refractory hypotension (Torsvik et al. 246)