Structured evaluation on arrival of patients with sepsis and initiation of antibiotics

In 2017, Acute Admissions at Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, introduced a specific protocol for evaluating patients with suspected sepsis on arrival. Patients with suspected sepsis, and all those who fulfilled at least two of three criteria in the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) screening tool, were to undergo a structured evaluation by a dedicated sepsis team. We have examined whether this initiative improved compliance with national recommendations to initiate antibiotics within one hour in cases of sepsis.

Adult patients with suspected sepsis who underwent a structured team evaluation on arrival in Acute Admissions in the period 15 May to 15 November 2017 were included. A retrospective review was used to determine whether or not those included did in fact have sepsis.

Antibiotics were administered for suspected sepsis following 216 structured evaluations in Acute Admissions (172 by sepsis teams and 44 by general medical teams). In all, 175 (81 %) patients received antibiotics within one hour of arrival in Acute Admissions. Median time from arrival to initiation of antibiotics was 35 minutes. Use of qSOFA alone captured 80 (71 %) of the 112 patients who were subsequently classified as having sepsis.

Following the introduction of a structured evaluation for patients with suspected sepsis, antibiotic treatment was generally initiated within one hour.