While sepsis occurs in approximately 10 percent of U.S. hospital patients, the complication may contribute to half of hospital deaths and nearly one-quarter of hospital charges, according to JAMA.
To reduce both the human and financial costs of sepsis, some hospitals are turning to sepsis simulation training to improve staff performance.
Here are three things to know.
1. Sepsis is a clinical syndrome incited by the body's response to infection. The condition involves widespread inflammation and can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose because of its quick onset and overlapping symptoms with other conditions.
2. In sepsis simulation training, providers use mannequins and computer software to repeatedly practice both diagnostic and treatment procedures proven to optimize clinical outcomes of sepsis management.
3. The Medical Simulation Corporation provided a sepsis simulation lab for staff training at Bakersfield (Calif.) Heart Hospital throughout the week of Nov. 7.
"While hands-on, experiential learning is indispensable, healthcare professionals are increasingly concerned about, and committed to, the safety of patients," says Laura Cunanan, RN, vice president of clinical at Bakersfield. "With simulation learning, healthcare providers have the opportunity to develop and refine their skills using simulation technology — without putting patients at risk."
To learn more about sepsis and sepsis simulation, click here and here.
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