The Sepsis Code has been created to put an end to the mortality caused by severe sepsis and septic shock, a public health problem that the Hospital de La Princesa in Madrid has managed to reduce.
Health professionals from the La Princesa Hospital in Madrid. Photo by Carlos Gonzalez.
Sepsis is an unnatural response of the body to a bacterial infection that can cause the failure of one or more vital organs, a public health problem for which the Sepsis Code protocol has been created, which has already reduced mortality from 24% to 10% at the La Princesa Hospital in Madrid.
This pathology has a great impact on hospitals, it decreases the quality of life of the patient and their physical, mental and social deterioration, in addition to requiring a long stay in the hospital.
Affects 50,000 people in Spain each yearof which, according to 2018 data, 17,000 people die.
However, mortality can be reduced. Since 2015, the Hospital Universitario de La Princesa in Madrid has achieved this thanks to the Sepsis Code.
How has this been possible?
The answer lies in the multidisciplinary work of the Sepsis Code. we tell you in our YouTube channel.
“When sepsis is diagnosed and detected quickly, and the hospitals respond appropriately, the results are much better. This is achieved with the Sepsis Code»
explains Fernando Ramasco, head of the La Princesa Hospital Resuscitation Unit.
What is the Sepsis Code?
It is a set of organizational, training and care improvement measures “aimed at providing the best care possible for patients who develop symptoms of sepsis”.
“The pre-activation part would almost be the most important. The early detection of sepsis in the patient is essential and now we detect it earlier, something important for the survival of the patient»
informs the deputy doctor of the emergency service, Andrés Von Wernitz.
In the emergency department, 80% of patients who arrive at the hospital with sepsis are detected. Once the diagnosis is made, the entire team knows what to do, “all the services and levels”, they get to work.
When sepsis is diagnosed in the patient, the next step is “analytics and microbiology samples”.
“We are lucky that we are the first hospital in Europe to implement a technology called Accelerate that allows us to know the causal agent in a few hours to apply a much more targeted antibiotic treatment, thus improving the prognosis”
indicates the doctor.
This new tool makes it possible to identify the pathogens that cause it in just 90 minutes and, in addition, offers the antibiotic sensitivity study in less than 7 hours, 28 hours less than those necessary with the conventional method.
“The sepsis code has given us a common language that makes the different services interact better and this is good for the patient, who is ultimately the center of the project.”
says the specialist.
“We have improved what we were already doing. We didn’t play badly, but with a tuned instrument the music sounds much better”, says the expert, referring to the multidisciplinary work of the parties included in the Sepsis Code.
Nursing role in the Sepsis Code
David Jimenez He is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Hospital La Princesa.
He tells us how his work is “unique” since his work is carried out “at the patient’s bedside”.
“We can detect warning signs and symptoms early before the patient can worsen and the sepsis ends up developing septic shock with the failure of different organs”
the nurse reports.
The work of this service also covers the part of the treatment, its administration being important in the first hours.
Benefits of the Sepsis Code
The results after the implementation of the Sepsis Code in 2014 at Hospital La Princesa show encouraging data: «In our hospital, in 5 years, Mortality has been reduced to almost 10%».
This is due to the great speed with which the antibiotic to be administered is defined, as well as “how to get it right from the beginning so that it is effective”.
“Many factors are taken into account, especially risk factors to be taken resistant bacteria. The entire population is important in this because taking antibiotics without a medical prescription can lead to an increased risk of resistant bacteria”
warns Ana Barrios, internist at the Infectious Diseases Service.
Martín Hernández, 46 days in the ICU
Martin is a diabetic patient who suffered from sepsis. One day he began to notice shortness of breath, heavy sweating, and an infection in his right leg.
Martín’s reaction was to take a taxi and go to his hospital, a decision that saved his life.
“I suffered septic shock that caused multi-organ failure in my leg, kidneys, lungs, and cross-pneumonia that forced me to stay in the ICU for 46 days”
Martin account.
The aftermath led him to rehabilitation both physically and emotionally because his mental health was affected after spending a long period in the hospital.
«I had consequences: tremendous fatigue, loss of muscle mass and a strong weakness that you have to recover little by little»
Add.
This patient thanks the Sepsis Code and all its professionals for their professionalism and effort, because “they really saved my life”stands out.
In this way, the Sepsis Code demonstrates its effectiveness and allows the patient to be removed from danger as soon as possible, reducing mortality and cases of serious infections.
Its implementation will continue to spread and the figures will continue to give hope.
