Revamping Sepsis Care: New Recommendations from Medical Societies

The Infectious Diseases Society of America and a coalition of medical professional societies have joined forces to issue recommendations aimed at revamping the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sepsis metrics (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
New Recommendations to Improve Sepsis Outcomes

Go to source). The objective is to enhance the quality of care and improve outcomes for sepsis patients, who account for over 1.7 million U.S. adults receiving hospital care annually, with more than 250,000 succumbing to this condition.

Retiring SEP-1 for Better Sepsis Care

The foremost recommendation from these multidisciplinary professional societies involves the retirement of CMS' Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock Management Bundle (SEP-1), rather than its incorporation into the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program.

While SEP-1 currently necessitates a specific bundle of care within three hours of sepsis recognition, it fails to account for conditions that mimic sepsis. This approach often results in the overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics, potentially harming non-infected patients or those with viral infections.

Flaws in SEP-1 and the Need for Change

A series of studies conducted after the implementation of SEP-1 reveal that it has not contributed to reduced mortality rates. Analyses involving hundreds of hospitals indicate that SEP-1's release correlated with increased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, lab testing, and fluid administration but brought no improvements in patient outcomes.

The professional societies applaud CMS' intention to introduce a new sepsis measure centered on sepsis mortality rates. This modified approach aligns hospitals with what truly matters to patients and their families: better outcomes.

The consensus document from these societies offers guidance on fine-tuning the measure and highlights areas of priority, including improving diagnostic strategies, optimizing sepsis patient care throughout hospitalization, and enhancing rehabilitation services for sepsis survivors.

Dr. Chanu Rhee, lead author of these recommendations, expresses optimism about the increased emphasis on sepsis care, stating, "Retiring past measures and refining future ones will help stimulate new innovations in diagnosis and treatment and ultimately improve outcomes for the many patients affected by sepsis."

Reference:

1. New Recommendations to Improve Sepsis Outcomes - (https://www.idsociety.org/news--publications-new/articles/2023/new-recommendations-to-improve-sepsis-outcomes/)

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Source-Medindia