The Need for a Sepsis Screening Tool in an Outpatient Facility

Sepsis is an exaggerated inflammatory response generated by the immune system secondary to the presence of septicemia, or pathogens within the bloodstream. An average of 270,000 individuals die from sepsis each year, while a total of 1.7 million cases occur annually. Research has shown that the early identification of sepsis prior to hospital admission is associated with decreased lengths of stay, hospital-associated costs, and overall mortality. To demonstrate this research, 26 healthcare staff members in an outpatient clinic were provided with a pre-survey, qSOFA sepsis screening tool, and a post survey to determine if these materials
increased participant confidence when approaching sepsis. The results of the two surveys demonstrated that all of the participants agreed that a screening tool would be beneficial in the outpatient setting and that most of the participants gained confidence with the use of a screening
tool.