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Whatever happened to SIRS? Why don’t we use the term “severe sepsis” anymore? And what’s a qSOFA score?

Changing knowledge, changing practices.

Since the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine launched the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) in 2002, there has been an ongoing search for best practices.

Education campaigns have focused on early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Best practices continue to evolve rapidly. As our understanding of sepsis pathophysiology has increased, definitions have changed and “sepsis bundle” interventions have been updated.

A guide for nurses on the latest sepsis essentials.

This month in “Managing Sepsis and Septic Shock: Current Guidelines and Definitions,” authors Makic and Bridges walk us through this thicket of change and highlight the latest assessment tools, definitions, and practices that can help us improve outcomes in patients with sepsis. Boxes with key information, along with a case history, help summarize and clarify current recommendations.

Read more in this free CE article in the February issue of AJN.