Recognition and clinical management of sepsis in frail older people
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence & Practice Previous    

Recognition and clinical management of sepsis in frail older people

Sheryll Lat Nurse practitioner, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend, Wales
Wendy Mashlan Lead advanced nurse practitioner rehabilitation/medicine, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend, Wales
Susan Heffey Nurse practitioner, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend, Wales
Bridie Jones Senior lecturer, University of South Wales, Wales

Sepsis is a common condition caused by the body’s immune and coagulation systems being ‘switched on’ by the presence of infection, either through bacteria or viruses in the blood. If untreated, sepsis can be life-threatening and is a leading cause of death in hospital patients worldwide. However, awareness of sepsis is low. This article provides an overview of the important role played by nurses in acute hospital settings in the early identification and treatment of suspected sepsis in frail older patients, and in escalating the care and management of deteriorating patients. It also explores recommendations in the 2016 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on sepsis recognition, diagnosis and early management.

Nursing Older People. 30, 2, 35-38. doi: 10.7748/nop.2018.e975

Correspondence

Sheryll.Lat@wales.nhs.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

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Received: 30 June 2017

Accepted: 18 October 2017

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