Recognition and clinical management of sepsis in frail older people

Sheryll Lat*, Wendy Mashlan, Susan Heffey, Bridie Jones

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to specialist publicationArticle

Abstract

Sepsis is a common condition caused by the body's immune and coagulation systems being 'switched on' by the presence of infection, either through bacteria or viruses in the blood. If untreated, sepsis can be life-threatening and is a leading cause of death in hospital patients worldwide. However, awareness of sepsis is low. This article provides an overview of the important role played by nurses in acute hospital settings in the early identification and treatment of suspected sepsis in frail older patients, and in escalating the care and management of deteriorating patients. It also explores recommendations in the 2016 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on sepsis recognition, diagnosis and early management.

Original languageEnglish
Pages35-38
Number of pages4
Volume30
No.2
Specialist publicationNursing Older People
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Feb 2018

Keywords

  • Acute hospitals
  • Frailty
  • Infection
  • Older people
  • Secondary care
  • Sepsis
  • Sepsis Six

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