“Your voice matters. Ask your healthcare provider – can this be sepsis?” - Dr. David Sweet, MD FRCP(C)
As the lead sepsis consultant for the Evidence 2 Excellence collaborative and the Sepsis Clinical Lead for the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, Dr. David Sweet is improving the quality of sepsis care across British Columbia. He has implemented sepsis protocols in emergency rooms throughout the province, and his initiatives are helping to save lives. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, BC has shown the greatest improvement in hospital sepsis rates and has the second lowest sepsis mortality rates in Canada. However, Dr Sweet cautioned:
“Sepsis mortality and morbidity is significant with high health care costs. Not enough research dollars are spent on sepsis research.”
Ongoing cost analysis studies are being done to look at potential lives and costs saved in the province. In addition, Dr. Sweet highlighted the following areas in need of further research:
- Genomics: Determining individuals’ potential predisposed risk of developing sepsis. Individuals at higher risk can be admitted to hospital for timely monitoring.
- Novel diagnostic techniques: Identifying which bacterium is causing the infection and what medication can be used to fight it. Targeted antimicrobial therapy can help reduce use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
- Novel prognostic techniques: Using inflammatory or genetic markers to understand how the body will react to infection.
- New antibiotics: Developing new drugs to combat the ongoing problem of antimicrobial resistance.
- Metabolic resuscitation: Understanding the potential role of steroids, vitamin C and thiamin in energy metabolism for post-sepsis care.
With World Sepsis Day fast approaching on September 13th, Dr. Sweet has some suggestions for the clinical community and the public. The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council has online implementation toolkits and additional sepsis resources available for download. Hospitals are encouraged to have their own activities with educational topics on sepsis and for staff to wear pink ribbons. The Action on Sepsis Research Cluster, along with their partners, will be hosting a booth in downtown Vancouver to raise awareness and spread knowledge of sepsis.
Stay tuned for the upcoming publication by Dr. Sweet in the Annals Internal Medicine, on a 5-year, multicenter, international study on sepsis and septic shock. It will discuss the utility of blood cultures and timing of blood cultures.
By Michelle Lui, MPH (Candidate), MOT, BSc. (FNH)