Sepsis care: the Basildon experience

ROTIMI JAIYESIMI, MARGARET MARY DEVANEY and WILSON ALVARES provide an insight into the Basildon experience of using quality improvement methodology for sepsis care, which resulted in significant reductions in mortality. 

Sepsis is a medical condition that occurs as a result of the body’s response to severe infection. It is a growing health concern as sepsis has a worldwide mortality rate of 30%-50% and kills about 1,400 people each day – claiming more lives than bowel and breast cancer combined. In the United Kingdom, 37,000 people die of sepsis¹ and more than 215,000 people per year in the United States.² Despite the significant risk of morbidity and mortality, adequate initial therapy is initiated in septic patients in fewer than 58% of cases.³ Audits undertaken at Basildon Hospital in 2012 showed a similar picture. Studies have identified various factors that can reduce deaths from sepsis. The Sepsis Six care bundle is proven to reduce deaths and complications related to sepsis. The Trust embarked on the use of the bundle to address the high mortality. Its initial Trustwide use showed wide variation and difficulty in demonstrating its effectiveness. Following this initial use, a Quality Improvement (QI) approach was put in place. 

The Sepsis Six Care Bundle