News Beat

The ED triage nurse suspects sepsis and performs a sepsis screening. After review of clinical data, it is confirmed that the patient is experiencing septic shock with late signs and symptoms, including acute organ system dysfunction with decreased level of consciousness, hypotension, and elevated lactate level (4.1 mmol/L).

Q1: What is an important next step after sepsis diagnosis is suspected or confirmed?

• A. Discharge planning
• B. Patient education
• C. Initiate sepsis bundle
• D. Consult social services

Q2: Following the CMS Sep-1 bundle, when should the lactate level be repeated if initial lactate was > 2 mmol/L with severe sepsis?

• A. Within 8 hours
• B. Within 6 hours
• C. Within 1 hour
• D. Within 2 hours

• Hand hygiene - ensure compliance among patients, visitors, and healthcare teams, which is the most effective method of reducing the spread of pathogens.
• Environmental cleaning - perform strict cleaning and disinfection of patient rooms, equipment, and common areas with approved disinfectants.
• Evidence-based patient care - use sterile and aseptic techniques, standard precautions, and patient screening for isolation measures.
• Antimicrobial stewardship - select and administer appropriate antimicrobials (e.g., antibiotic, antifungal, empiric, definitive), considering timing and duration.
• Infection surveillance - use monitoring systems to identify trends and track effective prevention strategies for infection mitigation.
• Education and training - provide comprehensive infection prevention and control education for healthcare teams, patients, and families.

Compliance with these infection prevention and control best-practice guidelines maintains a safe hospital environment and minimizes the spread of contagious and infectious microorganisms.