Sepsis Care: Cardiovascular Challenges and Solutions for Nurses

Sepsis and septic shock are two of the most prevalent disease states in today's medical intensive care units. Sepsis is a multi-system inflammatory response to infection that affects multiple organ systems, with the cardiovascular system being one of the most profoundly affected. Inflammatory mediators cause dilatation of the venous system, local tissue perfusion defects cause vasoconstriction of arterioles, and catecholamines cause increases in heart rate. Thus, nurses play a crucial role in assessing these clinical manifestations in the critically ill patient as noted through blood pressure, heart rate, capillary refill, and mentation. Invasive monitoring, such as arterial lines along with laboratory markers of perfusion also contribute to characterization of this clinical picture. Thus, early recognition and intervention are essential to prevent the progression to cardiovascular collapse and death. This article provides practical guidance for nurses in recognizing cardiovascular instability and implementing treatment strategies to help improve patient outcomes in the critical care setting.