Nine California hospitals experienced a 40 percent decline in mortality stemming from sepsis, the leading cause of preventable death in hospitals, according to a San Francisco Chronicle news report.
The drop in sepsis-related mortality rates is a result of a two-year UCSF program, in which the hospitals taught physicians, nurses and other staff members how to identify and screen patients who were at greatest risk of developing sepsis. The UCSF program also focused on compliance to existing protocols so patients could be treated with antibiotics more quickly, according to the news report.
"The key issue here, in addition to having standardized workflow and screening, is really about educating the medical staff," said Susan Ehrlich, MD, CEO of San Mateo (Calif.) Medical Center. "It's helping them understand why we worry about sepsis ... and what we can do to change those outcomes."
Read the news report about sepsis-related mortality rates at California hospitals.
Read other coverage about infection control:
- Study: No Advantage in Only Screening and Identifying MRSA in Hospital ICUs
- Postoperative Probe Reduces Risk of Surgical Site Infections
- Wound Dressing With Silver Kills MRSA, Other Antibiotic-Resistance 'Superbugs'
The drop in sepsis-related mortality rates is a result of a two-year UCSF program, in which the hospitals taught physicians, nurses and other staff members how to identify and screen patients who were at greatest risk of developing sepsis. The UCSF program also focused on compliance to existing protocols so patients could be treated with antibiotics more quickly, according to the news report.
"The key issue here, in addition to having standardized workflow and screening, is really about educating the medical staff," said Susan Ehrlich, MD, CEO of San Mateo (Calif.) Medical Center. "It's helping them understand why we worry about sepsis ... and what we can do to change those outcomes."
Read the news report about sepsis-related mortality rates at California hospitals.
Read other coverage about infection control:
- Study: No Advantage in Only Screening and Identifying MRSA in Hospital ICUs
- Postoperative Probe Reduces Risk of Surgical Site Infections
- Wound Dressing With Silver Kills MRSA, Other Antibiotic-Resistance 'Superbugs'