What Is the Role of Nursing Homes in the Surviving Sepsis Campaign?

Recently, there have been several publications advocating for an expansive role for nursing homes (NHs) in the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC). The rationale for this effort is the problem of high rates of 30-day readmissions from NHs and a disproportionate percentage of residents with a diagnosis of sepsis in emergency departments. This article provides a brief history of the SSC and the evolution of the definition of sepsis and of the timing of interventions that make up a “sepsis bundle.” Screening tools for sepsis that may be used in the NH setting are discussed. It is emphasized that there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of sepsis, and this limits the ability to identify a screening tool with high sensitivity. Three recent publications that discuss the recognition and management of sepsis in the NH are reviewed, although there is very little published information about this problem. Despite the lack of information about sepsis in NHs, several states have developed protocols for identification and management of sepsis in NHs but there are no results of the impact of these efforts on hospitalization or readmission rates or resident outcome. Based on the review of this information, the ability of NH providers and staff to identify residents with possible sepsis is unclear given no effective screening tool and the recent change in the definition of sepsis that focuses on a point late in the continuum from infection to sepsis with organ dysfunction. Also, NH capability to perform, in a timely fashion, interventions recommended in a sepsis bundle such as insertion of an intravenous catheter, performing blood cultures, administering antibiotics, and fluid resuscitation will likely vary considerably. There is a need for more intensive study of sepsis in the NH setting to identify screening tools with better sensitivity and identification of interventions suitable for the NH setting and that have an impact on various outcomes.