Clinical management of sepsis

Sepsis is a common cause of hospital admission worldwide and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. The definition of sepsis has evolved from the 1991 American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine definition based on the criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, to the 2016 Sepsis-3 definition that incorporates the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. The landmark trial on protocolised early goal-directed therapy was published in 2001, but three subsequent multicentre randomised controlled trials (ProCESS, ARISE, and ProMISe) in 2014-2015 did not confirm a survival benefit with protocolised care. Over the years, there has been considerable improvement in sepsis outcome and management that hinges on early detection; timely source control; prompt, appropriate, and correctly dosed antibiotics; aggressive fluid resuscitation; and shock reversal. These are all directed by repeated bedside assessment. This article summarises recent developments and landmark trials that should guide current sepsis management.