Executive Summary Checklist

The Sepsis Improvement Gap

In May 2017, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to improve sepsis care. Sepsis is now recognized as a global priority with significant public health impact.  However, huge variation exists between high-income countries (HIC) and low and middle-income countries (LMIC) and their programmatic approaches to improving sepsis care.
This document is intended for use by healthcare administrators and clinical leaders to support sustainable improvements in the health system’s approach to the management of sepsis. It is divided into 3 sections:
  1. What is sepsis and why is it important?
  2. How to use a quality improvement approach to improve sepsis management?
  3. How to use resources and tools to support sepsis improvement programs?

What is sepsis and why is it important to you?

What is sepsis?

In simple terms, patients with sepsis are patients who are seriously ill with infection and likely to die or be admitted to the intensive care setting as a result. Sepsis arises when the body’s response to infection injures its own tissues and organs. It can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death, if not recognized early and managed promptly. It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in all populations living in LMICs, including the most vulnerable such as pregnant women, neonates and young children.  Sepsis can result from severe infections with bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites; it is their common pathway to death.  A person can develop sepsis in the community  (such as community acquired pneumonia) or in the hospital (such as nosocomial infection).  Sepsis can also develop when infections are from dangerous, emerging infectious diseases (such as viral hemorrhagic fevers).

What is burden of sepsis?