A new program aimed at improving management of sepsis in Western Health has produced some impressive results, including reduced mortality and shorter hospital stays for adult patients.
Data collected ahead of World Sepsis Day on Friday 13 September shows the mortality rate of patients placed on a new treatment pathway as part of Safer Care Victoria’s ‘Think Sepsis. Act Fast’ collaborative was more than halved.
Sepsis is known to be one of the leading causes of death in hospitals.
Further benefits for patients placed on the pathway included a reduction in admissions to Intensive Care Units and shorter lengths of stay in hospital.
The median time for administering antibiotics to septic patients also fell to below 60 minutes, representing an increase in those treated within best practice timeframes.
The Adult Sepsis Pathway has been integrated with the service’s Electronic Medical Records system, and has so far been rolled out across a variety of clinical areas including wards and emergency departments.
Western Health is one of 11 Victorian health services to implement the ‘Think Sepsis. Act Fast’ program, which is supported by the Better Care Victoria innovation fund.
