On the 31st of January 2024, the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) updated its NG51 guideline for the UK originally published in 2016. It includes recommendations on recognition and early assessment, initial treatment, escalating care, finding the source of infection, early monitoring, information and support, and training and education.
You can read the full report here
Sepsis researcher and intensive care consultant at the University of Cambridge, Dr Andrew Conway Morris, comments,
“Broadly these guidelines are to be welcomed, they help raise awareness of sepsis amongst healthcare professionals and provide guidance on the recognition and management of this dangerous but sometimes hard-to-diagnose condition. However, it is striking how weak the underpinning evidence is for many of the recommendations, with many having no identified evidence and many of the others having very low or low-quality evidence. It emphasises the massive need for research in this area, and the need to prioritise this research so that it can focus on the most pressing issues. The panel make three recommendations for future research, and whilst these are all valuable, they do not appear to be informed by the priorities of patients, families or healthcare professionals looking after those with sepsis. These guidelines highlight the pressing need to understand those priorities, the need for significant investment in research and researchers in sepsis, and the considerable evidence gaps that need to be filled if we are to achieve improvements in sepsis care.”
Dr Conway-Morris’ comments further illustrate the importance of Sepsis Research FEAT’s sepsis research priority setting partnership with the James Lind Alliance, the second phase of which is due to launch to the public in March 2024.