FIGHT AGAINST SEPSIS – Call to Action – Tuscan Regional Health Agency

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ABSTRACT > People are dying of sepsis in increasing numbers. Diagnosing sepsis is not at all easy. Most cases originate in the community and can be identified at the patient’s home or at First Aid Units. In fewer cases, sepsis occurs in the place of treatment. This document presents strategies for its recognition and treatment in the various contexts in which sepsis can occur, as well as for the wide-ranging prevention of this serious pathology and of the infections that cause it; the impact of inappropriate care on the patient and on the community are also described. Our efforts nevertheless form an expansive and continuing work in progress, with evolving definitions and strategies. Changes during the process are an integral part of the initial project, and so is keen attention, which must never waver.


PURPOSE > This document is based on the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines and on evidence reported in the literature concerning microbiology, clinical care, human factors, quality and safety of treatments. It proposes a vision of the critical issues that sepsis brings with it to the healthcare system, a vision not attributable to a single disciplinary perspective but rather an expression of multiple viewpoints of team members. The document suggests and indicates approaches that are integrated on both a strategic-organisational level and in clinical-care practice.