Going Beyond the Guidelines When it Comes to Fighting Sepsis
The Surviving Sepsis Campaign is a global effort to improve the care of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. The first Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines were published in 2004 with an updated version published in 2008. These guidelines have been endorsed by many professional organizations throughout the world and come regarded as the standard of care for the management of patients with severe sepsis. Unfortunately, most of the recommendations of these guidelines are not evidence-based. Furthermore, the major components of the six-hour bundle are based on a single-center study whose validity has been recently under increasing scrutiny.
Paul E. Marik, of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., reviews the validity of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign six-hour bundle and provides a more evidence-based approach to the initial resuscitation of patients with severe sepsis. His work was published in the latest issue of Annals of Intensive Care.
Reference: Marik PE. Surviving sepsis: going beyond the guidelines. Annals of Intensive Care 2011, 1:17 doi:10.1186/2110-5820-1-17
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
Building Infection Prevention Capacity in the Middle East: A 7-Year Certification Success Story
June 17th 2025Despite rapid development, the Middle East faces a critical shortage of certified infection preventionists. A 7-year regional initiative has significantly boosted infection control capacity, increasing the number of certified professionals and elevating patient safety standards across health care settings.
Streamlined IFU Access Boosts Infection Control and Staff Efficiency
June 17th 2025A hospital-wide quality improvement project has transformed how staff access critical manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs), improving infection prevention compliance and saving time through a standardized, user-friendly digital system supported by unit-based training and interdepartmental collaboration.
