Did you know? Many of the patients admitted through your emergency department and taken to the operating room actually meet criteria for sepsis.
Example:
- Patient comes to the ED complaining of severe LLQ pain and fever
- CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis reveals extensive, acute sigmoid diverticulitis with perforation as evidenced by free air in the peritoneum
- The patient is taken emergently to the O.R. for partial sigmoid colectomy with colostomy formation
- The patient’s clinical condition at the time of admission calculated to a SOFA score of 3
- The first diagnosis written in the chart should be sepsis
Please do not forget to think about sepsis in patients presenting with cholecystitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, intra-abdominal abscesses, enterocutaneous fistulas, etc.
Please also remember to document peritonitis in patients who display rebound and/or guarding on physical exam.
