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Abstract
Background
Sepsis occurs as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and accounts for great financial burden of healthcare, especially, in developing nations. Early identification and prompt performance of evidence-based management strategies in Emergency Department should yield better results in terms of health outcomes. Nonetheless, diagnosis and treatment delays are typical of resource-poor environments.
Objective
The aim of this study was to assess practices of recognition and early prevention of sepsis in patients with suspected condition admitted to Emergency Department of Civil Hospital Jamshoro in Sindh province of Pakistan.
Methodology
The study conducted in Emergency Department of Civil Hospital Jamshoro from January 2025 till June 2025 represented a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Patients above 18 years of age were recruited in the study based on inclusion criteria allowing to screen the cases of suspected sepsis. Structured proformas were used to collect patient demographic data, sepsis symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options practiced, as well as interventions performed and outcomes achieved monitoring. The SPSS version 26 was employed to analyze the results in order to find out frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations.
Results
A total of 220 patients with suspected sepsis were enrolled. The mean age was 52.8 ± 17.4 years. A total of 220 patients suspected of having sepsis were studied. The mean or average age of patients was 52.8 ± 17.4 years. The diagnosis of sepsis was made during the first assessment in the Emergency Department (ED) in 154 (70.0%) cases. Of the 220 patients included in the study, 136 (61.8%) underwent testing for lactate while blood cultures were taken from 124 (56.4%) patients before antibiotics were administered. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were administered within one hour to 118 (53.6%) patients. The corresponding number of patients who completed the whole process of intravenous fluid resuscitation according to the guidelines was 143 (65.0%). In 18.6% of cases where antibiotics were administered within 1 hour, the mortality rate in the adult ED was significantly lower than in the patients who did not receive antibiotics in time (34.3%); P=0.011. Overall, in-hospital mortality reached 26.4%.
Conclusion
Although the rates of diagnosis of sepsis in the study were acceptable, there are important gaps in complying with the recommended procedures for early curing patients with sepsis. Delays in administering antibiotics, inadequate culture taking, and incomplete implementation of the sepsis diagnosis protocols resulted in the poor quality of care. It is necessary to work on the sepsis detection system, training of personnel, and protocol-based management.