Sepsis Awareness Month: CDC Remains Committed to Improving Sepsis Recognition and Care
CDC is committed to focusing on sepsis all year, but Sepsis Awareness Month provides a special opportunity to honor the patients and families impacted by this life-threatening medical emergency and participate in concentrated efforts to raise awareness about sepsis. This year during Sepsis Awareness Month, CDC is highlighting new data showing that hospitals have strengthened sepsis programs to improve processes and the quality of patient care. Read more in our latest Safe Healthcare blog post.
Measuring U.S. Progress to Get Ahead of Sepsis
The Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements, which were released in August 2023, help clinicians, hospitals, and health systems improve the identification, management, and outcomes of sepsis. Compared to 2022, hospitals showed improvements in the following areas in 2023:
78% reported having sepsis teams (up from 73%).
59% reported sufficient dedicated time for sepsis leadership (up from 55%).
66% reported their sepsis teams engaged with Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (up from 55%).
These data also highlight opportunities to strengthen hospital sepsis programs to optimize patient care. These areas include:
Improving awareness of sepsis signs and symptoms among certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians.
Evaluating the usability of local sepsis tools.
Implementing processes to support patients recovering from sepsis.
