Regulatory Mandates for Sepsis Care - Reasons for Caution

Sepsis, the syndrome of dysregulated inflammation that occurs with severe infection, affects millions of people worldwide each year. Multiple studies suggest that the incidence of sepsis is dramatically increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example, sepsis rates doubled between 2000 and 2008.(1) In 2010, sepsis was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States,(2) and in 2011, it was the single most expensive condition treated in hospitals.(3) This apparent explosion in sepsis is spurring high-profile initiatives to promote earlier recognition and better treatment. Standardized screening protocols, bundled order sets, and algorithms for . . . The attention and resources being dedicated to improving sepsis care are welcome. The policy response to this apparent epidemic, however, ought to be tempered by recognition that we do not yet have reliable tools for measuring sepsis incidence.