Abstract
BackgroundCurrent sepsis screening tools rely on vital parameters which are, however, normal in one third of patients with serious infections. Therefore, there is a need to include other variables than vital parameters to identify septic patients. Our primary aim was to identify and quantify keywords related to the septic patients’ symptom presentation in the prehospital setting. The secondary aims were to compare keywords in relation to in-hospital mortality and the distribution of keywords in relation to age categories, survivors/ deceased and severe/ non-severe sepsis.MethodsA mixed methods analysis using a sequential exploratory design was performed, starting with a content analysis of presentations of septic patients as documented in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records (n = 80) from 2012, to identify keywords related to sepsis presentation. Thereafter, the identified keywords were quantified among 359 septic patients from 2013. All patients were adults, admitted to Södersjukhuset and discharged with an ICD-10-code (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) compatible with sepsis.ResultsThe most common keywords related to septic patients’ symptom presentation were: abnormal/ suspected abnormal temperature (64.1.%), pain (38.4%), acute altered mental status (38.2%), weakness of the legs (35.1%), breathing difficulties (30.4%), loss of energy (26.2%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (24.0%). There was an association between keywords and in-hospital mortality. Symptoms varied between age categories, survivors/ deceased and severe/ non-severe sepsis.DiscussionThis is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study exploring the symptom presentation as documented by EMS, of septic patients in the prehospital setting. Keywords related to patients´ symptom presentation recurred in the EMS records of septic patients, so that a pattern was discernible. In addition, certain symptom presentations were associated with increased in-hospital mortalityConclusionsInformation relating to symptom presentation is not included in current sepsis screening tools. We suggest that keywords related to patients´ symptom presentation could be integrated into screening tools and may thus increase the identification of sepsis, and potentially also identify high-risk patients. However, as a first step, the specificity of these keywords, with respect to sepsis, needs to be examined.
Highlights
Current sepsis screening tools rely on vital parameters which are, normal in one third of patients with serious infections
Information relating to symptom presentation is not included in current sepsis screening tools
We suggest that keywords related to patientssymptom presentation could be integrated into screening tools and may increase the identification of sepsis, and potentially identify high-risk patients
Summary
Current sepsis screening tools rely on vital parameters which are, normal in one third of patients with serious infections. There is a need to include other variables than vital parameters to identify septic patients. Sepsis, caused by a dysregulated host response to infection [1], is one of the most important conditions to identify within emergency care due to its high mortality and to a large extent treatable cause. SIRS is in turn based mainly on vital parameters. 39% of the patients with serious infections lack abnormal vital parameters [15] and 12% of the patients with severe sepsis do not fulfil the SIRS criteria [16]. Existing sepsis screening tools are still based mainly on SIRS criteria [17, 18]
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