title: Implementing Surviving Sepsis guidelines in a district general hospital.
abstract: We describe efforts made at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to implement the well-established international Surviving Sepsis guidelines. These included posters, pocket guides and stickers inserted in patient notes. All doctors and nurses in acute areas received specific information and education. Sepsis teams comprising both doctors and nurses were formed to encourage implementation and to audit and disseminate data. Data collection occurred from February to November 2009. Cases were considered prospectively at the time of initial assessment and 198 patients were identified; 169 (85%) had blood cultures taken; 146 (74%) had lactate levels measured; and 145 (74%) received antibiotics within the target time. We believe these results demonstrate relatively effective implementation of guidelines in the challenging environment of a district general hospital. Our results could be replicated easily and provide a good way of reducing patient mortality at minimal financial cost.
authors.affiliation: North Manchester General Hospital, Manchester, UK. iainpage9@hotmail.com
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fairfield
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nichani
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000592:standards*; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses' / Q000592:standards; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards; D011361:Professional Competence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D019344:Lactic Acid