Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's extreme response to infection and remains a significant global patient safety challenge.

Research revealed that globally, an estimated 48.9 million cases of sepsis occurred globally in 2017, contributing to approximately 11 million deaths, nearly 20% of all deaths worldwide. Almost half of estimated sepsis cases occur in children under five, while the burden remains disproportionately high in low- and middle-income countries.

Additionally, neonatal sepsis remains a significant global health challenge. A systematic review and meta-analysis estimated its incidence at 2,824 cases per 100,000 live births. While the precise global burden remains uncertain, previous research has estimated that around 3 million cases of neonatal sepsis occur worldwide each year. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 84% of newborn deaths due to infection could be averted through early diagnosis and appropriate clinical management.

For healthcare organisations, sepsis prevention requires more than responding when a patient becomes critically ill. Preventing infections that can lead to sepsis, strengthening infection prevention and control, using antimicrobials appropriately and recognising deterioration early all play an important role.

What Is the Most Common Cause of Sepsis?

Sepsis develops in response to an infection. Bacterial infections are the most common cause, although viral, fungal and parasitic infections can also result in sepsis. This makes preventing and managing infection central to any sepsis prevention strategy.

Healthcare organisations can reduce risk by combining effective infection prevention and control with patient education, antimicrobial stewardship, consistent clinical processes and systems that support early recognition of deterioration.

Patient Education and Sepsis Prevention

Awareness remains an important part of preventing sepsis. Awareness of sepsis remains low worldwide. According to the Global Sepsis Alliance, depending on the country and level of education, awareness of sepsis ranges from just 7% to 50%. Preventive measures such as vaccination and clean care can help reduce the risk of sepsis, while early recognition and treatment can reduce sepsis mortality by up to 50%.

Healthcare workers can educate patients and their families about what sepsis is, its causes and risk factors, common signs and symptoms, wound care, vaccination, appropriate antibiotic use and the importance of seeking timely medical attention when an infection worsens.

Helping patients understand infection prevention and recognise deterioration can complement the clinical systems healthcare organisations use to manage sepsis risk.

Sepsis prevention map showing countries that have successfully integrated sepsis into their national healthcare strategies

Preventing Infections That Can Lead to Sepsis

Healthcare facilities must have stringent infection control protocols in place, including hand hygiene, proper sterilisation of equipment and medical devices, and strict adherence to aseptic techniques during medical procedures to prevent sepsis. Organisations must also establish rigorous cleaning and disinfection protocols for patient rooms, equipment, and common areas.

Apart from this, when performed regularly, infection prevention and control audits help organisations establish a governance process and identify issues, trends, and areas for improvement. This data can then be used to drive continuous quality improvement and reduce the rate of HAIs.

Antibiotic Stewardship

Prompt and appropriate antimicrobial treatment is important in managing infections that may progress to sepsis. While prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment of bacterial infections is critical to managing sepsis and saving lives, around 30% of all antibiotics prescribed in U.S. acute care hospitals are either unnecessary or suboptimal.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes help clinicians improve the use of antimicrobials while supporting better clinical outcomes and reducing the development of antimicrobial-resistant infections. Antibiotics have serious adverse effects, occurring in roughly 20% of hospitalised patients. Patients unnecessarily exposed to antibiotics are at risk for these adverse events with no benefit. The misuse of antibiotics has also contributed to antibiotic resistance, a serious threat to public health.

Healthcare providers should use antibiotics in accordance with clinical guidance, diagnostic information and local protocols, including appropriate choice, dosage and treatment duration.

Check out MEG's Digital System to efficiently track and report antibiotic use here.

Early Detection of Patient Deterioration

While vaccination, proper hygiene, and emergency treatment play crucial roles in preventing sepsis, early detection remains paramount in reducing its devastating effects.

The statistics and real-world examples we explored in this blog underscore the pressing need for action. With millions of lives hanging in the balance and the burden of sepsis disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities and low-income countries, implementing a system that strengthens early detection, diagnosis, and treatment protocols in every organisation is an absolute necessity.

Read our guide to Early Warning Scores and sepsis detection →

Early Warning Systems

The Early Warning Score (EWS) is a physiological scoring system based on signs like core body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, etc., used to evaluate the level of a patient’s clinical deterioration.

This system can be used by healthcare staff to identify patients at risk of sepsis, trigger a clinical assessment, and provide timely care in the form of antibiotic therapy, IV fluids, and addressing the underlying source of infection.

EWS systems also facilitate documentation and communication among healthcare teams. They provide a standardised way to communicate a patient's deterioration or potential sepsis risk, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken promptly.

MEG's Deteriorating Patient Bundle

To help organisations with their quality assurance process for patient deterioration, we've put together a collection of assessments and audit tools, including various Early Warning Score forms such as standard, paediatric, maternity, and emergency medicine, each tailored to specific patient populations. The bundle also includes associated escalation pathways following the ISBAR model.

These are governance audits that organisations can use to ensure that their processes are working as designed and that staff are following the necessary protocol to prevent patient deterioration and the likelihood of events such as sepsis.

It also comes with a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) tool to identify and address any issues or gaps in the assurance process. Here's a glimpse into what the system looks like: