Management of severe sepsis: role of "bundles"

Sepsis is the leading cause of hospital admissions, morbidity and mortality. Treating sepsis is expensive resulting in consumption of major health care resources. With development of newer and potent antimicrobial agents, moratlity due to sepsis has reduced markedly, but remains unacceptably high. Recently, various strategies like fluid therapy, low dose corticosteroids, tight glycaemic control, recombinant human activated protein C [(rhAPC), drotrecogin alfa] and lung protective ventilation have shown favourable results. Further, it is thought that combination of these strategies in the form of "bundles" can further improve the outcome. Concerted utilisation of the "sepsis bundles" is likely to improve outcome of this serious disorder.