Authors: Gilbert Andrew Valasquez, Teri M. Kozik, Jacqueline DeMellow, Martha Engaling, Julie Ding, Scott Neeley.
Background: Although there are many studies that highlight the importance of early resuscitation in severe sepsis, there remains limited or disjointed information about the effect of timely post-resuscitative sepsis management on patient outcomes.
Objective: The goal of this descriptive study was to determine if timely implementation of a post-resuscitation sepsis order set (PRSOs) resulted in a decrease in hospital length of stay (LOS) and hospital cost.
Methods: In this descriptive study, 749 intensive care unit (ICU) patients were reviewed, 494 (66%) patients received the PRSOs compared to 255 patients who did not.
Results: Though not statistically significant, those who received the PRSOs had a decreased hospital length of stay (LOS) by more than one day (9.29 versus 10.33 days) and a decrease in hospital costs ($22,566.54 versus $24,155.98).
Conclusion: While the results of this study were not statistically significant, the preliminary results are re-assuring and further study is warranted given the potential implications for future use.
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