Sepsis is the 9th leading cause of South Carolinians a year and the leading cause of deaths in hospitals across the country according to "The Sepsis Alliance." Josh Dosher, Education Coordinator, has been researching sepsis and talking with other agencies to see how Laurens County EMS can take a stand against this growing and fatal problem.
In 2014, DHEC approved a pilot program allowing Greenville County EMS to draw blood cultures and administer broad spectrum antibiotics for anyone meeting the criteria for sepsis alerts. This allowed for patients to get antibiotics quicker and resulting in deaths significantly. Prior to this program, patients would have to be seen by a physician, then have cultures drawn before receiving antibiotics. For every hour antibiotics were delayed, the probability for death went up by 10%. Greenville County EMS piloting this program gave a stepping stone for others to follow.
Over the past couple months, Laurens County EMS providers have been calling Sepsis Alerts in the field and notifying hospitals prior to leaving the scene. In January's IST, Prisma came in for a lecture covering Sepsis and to train providers in drawing cultures prior to arriving at the hospital. After collecting the data from cultures, broad spectrum antibiotics will begin to be administered to patients meeting criteria and without contraindications in the field. This portion is predicted to begin on July 1, 2023.
This new protocol will be a vital tool to our providers in reducing morbidity and mortality amongst the citizens and visitors of Laurens County. Laurens County EMS is dedicated and
always researching to expand our care in the field. This program is one tool in the tool box that we use to ensure the most up-to-date treatment and care for our patients.
Sources:
The Sepsis Alliance:
https://www.sepsis.org/education/resources/fact-sheets/
Taylor and Francis Group: https://www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/pcrf_attached_files/expo2017/sepsis_core_measure_bundle.pdf
