Severe sepsis in pre-hospital emergency care: analysis of incidence, care, and outcome.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Severe sepsis is common and highly morbid, yet the epidemiology of severe sepsis at the frontier of the health care system-pre-hospital emergency care-is unknown.

Objectives

We examined the epidemiology of pre-hospital severe sepsis among emergency medical services (EMS) encounters, relative to acute myocardial infarction and stroke.

Methods

Retrospective study using a community-based cohort of all nonarrest, nontrauma King County EMS encounters from 2000 to 2009 who were transported to a hospital.

Measurements and main results

Overall incidence rate of hospitalization with severe sepsis among EMS encounters, as well as pre-hospital characteristics, admission diagnosis, and outcomes. Among 407,176 EMS encounters, we identified 13,249 hospitalizations

SUBMITTER: Seymour CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3622444 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature