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
Happy Hand Hygiene Day! Rethinking Glove Use for Safer, Cleaner, and More Ethical Health Care
May 5th 2025Despite their protective role, gloves are often misused in health care settings—undermining hand hygiene, risking patient safety, and worsening environmental impact. Alexandra Peters, PhD, points out that this misuse deserves urgent attention, especially today, World Hand Hygiene Day.
From the Derby to the Decontam Room: Leadership Lessons for Sterile Processing
April 27th 2025Elizabeth (Betty) Casey, MSN, RN, CNOR, CRCST, CHL, is the SVP of Operations and Chief Nursing Officer at Surgical Solutions in Overland, Kansas. This SPD leader reframes preparation, unpredictability, and teamwork by comparing surgical services to the Kentucky Derby to reenergize sterile processing professionals and inspire systemic change.
Show, Tell, Teach: Elevating EVS Training Through Cognitive Science and Performance Coaching
April 25th 2025Training EVS workers for hygiene excellence demands more than manuals—it requires active engagement, motor skills coaching, and teach-back techniques to reduce HAIs and improve patient outcomes.
