Project 7: Addressing Gaps in Sepsis Care with Paramedics and Emergency Department Staff
Principal Investigators
Dr. Alix Carter| Associate Professor, Dalhousie University
Contact: alix.carter@govs.ns.ca
Dr. Blair Bigham | Critical Care Fellow, Stanford University
Contact: Bigham@stanford.edu
Project Summary
In Canada, most patients with sepsis have their first point of medical contact with paramedics and are subsequently admitted to hospitals through Emergency Departments. Studies show that recognizing and managing sepsis is challenging, and that failing to recognize early sepsis and promptly initiate treatments can lead to poor outcomes and even death. Sepsis guidelines exist and contain recommendations for early diagnosis and management of sepsis. However, despite these guidelines, many barriers impede their implementation. This study will improve the early identification and shorten the time to treatment of patients with sepsis through:
- The identification of local and system barriers and facilitators to the implementation of sepsis guidelines amongst paramedics, and emergency department nurses and physicians
- The evaluation of existing and novel knowledge translation interventions to mitigate barriers and take advantage of existing facilitators in prehospital and emergency department settings
If you would like to collaborate on this research project or learn more about it, please contact the Principal Investigators.