By Peter Debartolo, MD, emergency medicine physician 

Physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) play a central role in the management of sepsis — from early recognition to the rapid initiation of evidence-based care, continuous monitoring and timely escalation when needed. Many of these steps rely on assistance from our nurses and staff, who look to them for direction.

Early identification is critical, as delays in diagnosis and treatment significantly increase both mortality and morbidity. This requires vigilance for signs of infection and organ dysfunction. At HonorHealth, we remain committed to strengthening our processes to identify and treat sepsis as early as possible.

All physicians and APPs are encouraged to enlist a full care team by utilizing the “Initiate Sepsis Alert” order whenever there is suspicion of infection with hypotension or other evidence of organ dysfunction. When patients show sudden signs of deterioration, you should act rapidly to ensure:

• Lactic acid is ordered (if not resulted within the last 6 hours)
• Blood cultures are collected (if not obtained within the last 24 hours)
• Appropriate broad-spectrum IV antibiotics are initiated
• Appropriate fluid resuscitation is given for those with new hypotension or lactate > 4

By enlisting the help of a multidisciplinary team, you can profoundly impact numerous lives within this critically ill population.