Computer-assisted decision support for changing practice in severe sepsis and septic shock

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Severe sepsis and septic shock management in ICUs requires adherence to infection control standards.
• Computer-assisted decision support systems (CDSS) are emerging tools for enhancing clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of CDSS on infection management for severe sepsis and septic shock patients in ICUs.
• To assess the relationship between adherence to infection management standards and ICU mortality.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, pre- and post-intervention clinical study design.
• Data collected over 180 days across two study periods (2006-2007).
• Patient stratification into low adherence (LAG) and high adherence (HAG) groups based on infection management standards.

Main Results:

• ICU mortality was significantly higher in the LAG compared to the HAG.
• CDSS implementation led to a 35% increase in adherence to infection management standards.
• Improvements observed in diagnostics, increased antibiotic-free days, and reduced time to antibiotic administration post-CDSS.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to infection management standards is crucial for improving outcomes in severe sepsis and septic shock.
• CDSS is an effective tool for enhancing adherence to infection management standards in ICUs.
• CDSS implementation positively impacts patient care through improved diagnostics and timely treatment.