About sepsis screening in UEC

Nervecentre’s clinical rules can identify sepsis markers in adult patients in UEC, and trigger associated workflows in real time.

The NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guideline Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management outlines thresholds that are red flags for sepsis. For example, a NEWS equal to or greater than 7 is a red flag for sepsis. These thresholds are set as conditions in Nervecentre. When observations are recorded, Nervecentre evaluates the patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. and other risk factors against these conditions. Where thresholds are met or exceeded, the clinical rules trigger a workflow.

Positive triggers update clinical notes, patient tags, and patient list dashboards to ensure timely identification and treatment of patients with suspected sepsis.

You can update clinical notes for sepsis from a desktop or a mobile. Depending on you organisation, you can update clinical notes for sepsis from a patient list dashboard.

Read more about viewing your patient list dashboard for UEC

Read more about updating clinical notes for sepsis screening

Sepsis screening takes place after recording a set of observations. A set of observations might give a National Early Warning Score (NEWS).

Read more about observations

Nervecentre evaluates the patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. and other risk factors against NICE thresholds to determine which if a patient might have sepsis.

NEWS Other risk factors Result What happens
7 or more - Positive

  • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to 'Sepsis Suspected ED'.

  • The tag SEPSIS appears under the patient's name.

  • On your patient list dashboard for UEC, s appears in the Sps column.

Read more about the workflow

5 or 6

One of the following:
5 or 6 None Negative

  • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to Sepsis Screened.

  • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled for the next set of observations.
1 to 4

One of the following:

  • An EWS of 3 in 1 parameter

  • Skin perfusion recorded as non-blanching rash, cyanotic, mottled, or ashen
1 to 4 None

Observations are recorded.

If a patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. is 7 or more, or their NEWS is equal to 5 or 6 and they have one other risk factor:

Nervecentre does the following actions:

  • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to show Sepsis Suspected ED.

  • The tag SEPSIS appears under the patient's name.

  • On your patient list dashboard for UEC, s appears in the Sps column.

A doctor assesses the patient for sepsis, and manually updates the clinical note 'Sepsis Screening'.

  • If the doctor thinks that patient has sepsis, they update the clinical note to Red Sepsis Treatment Commenced:

    • The tag SEPSIS appears under the patient's name.

    • On your patient list dashboard for UEC, s appears in the Sps column.

    • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 24 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient’s condition changes despite sepsis treatment being in place.

  • If the doctor thinks the patient doesn't have sepsis, they update the clinical note to Sepsis Unlikely:

    • Nervecentre removes the tag SEPSIS from under the patient's name.

    • Nervecentre removes s from the Sps column on your patient list dashboard.

    • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 6 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient's condition changes.

A doctor sets the clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' to Sepsis Treatment Completed.

  • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled for the next set of observations.

Nervecentre automatically updates the clinical note ‘Sepsis Screening’ when a set of observations is recorded. After that, you must manually update the clinical note 'Sepsis Screening'.

Not screened for Sepsis

This is the default value, shown when the patient is admitted.

Sepsis Screened

This shows automatically when observations have been recorded, but there are no red flags for sepsis.

Sepsis Suspected ED

Nervecentre automatically shows this if the patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. is 7 or more, or their NEWS is equal to 5 or 6 and they have one other risk factor.

Nervecentre creates an amber patient tag.

Read more about patient tags

Red Sepsis Treatment Commenced

Select this if you think the patient has sepsis, and they need to start treatment.

Nervecentre creates a red patient tag.

Read more about patient tags

Sepsis Unlikely

Select this if you think the patient doesn't have sepsis.

Nervecentre removes the amber patient tag.

Sepsis Treatment Completed

Select when the patient's sepsis treatment is complete.

Read more about setting 'Sepsis Screening' to 'Sepsis Treatment Completed'

When you view a patient's record, you can view patient tags. Patient tags appear directly under the patient's demographics.

Nervecentre updates patient tags for sepsis when the clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' contains specific values.

SEPSIS

Amber sepsis tag: Sepsis suspected

SEPSIS

Red sepsis tag: Red sepsis treatment commenced
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