Severe Sepsis supports a higher risk of mortality than sepsis alone. Don’t undervalue your care by omitting Severe Sepsis on the H&P when the criteria are met.
The Sepsis-3 publication (JAMA, 2016) states that sepsis diagnosed using SOFA criteria is always Severe Sepsis. Never document ‘sepsis’ alone when using the SOFA criteria. Always support your patient’s risk with the word severe.
Download the complete tip, Severe Sepsis.