The forgotten value of the clinical examination to individualize and guide fluid resuscitation in patients with sepsis

Practice and effect evaluation of early restrictive fluid resuscitation strategy in the nursing care of patients with sepsis in the emergency department: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To explore the practice and effect evaluation of the early restrictive fluid resuscitation strategy in the nursing care of patients with sepsis in the emergency department.

METHODS

A total of 239 sepsis patients, who were treated in the emergency department of our hospital from January to September 2020, were selected as the participants of this study, and a retrospective analysis was performed. According to different methods of fluid resuscitation, they were divided into an improved group and a control group. One hundred and twelve patients who received restrictive fluid resuscitation were in the improved group; another 127 patients who received adequate fluid resuscitation were in the control group. The ICU stay time, ventilator use time, and 28-day mortality rate of the two groups were observed. The hemodynamic indices, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and complications of the two groups before and after treatment were compared.

RESULTS

After treatment, in the improved group, the APACHE II and SOFA scores were lower than in the control group, fluid replacement decreased, lactate clearance increased, ICU admission time shortened and the proportion of ventilator time to ICU admission time decreased. The incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cTn I and brain natriuretic peptic in the improved group were significantly lower than those in the control group. From the dimension within the group, the APACHE II score, SOFA score, heart rate and shock index were lower after treatment than before treatment in both the improved and control groups.

CONCLUSION

Restricted fluid resuscitation can effectively alleviate the condition of emergency sepsis patients, improve hemodynamics, reduce the incidence of ARDS, and prevent patient deaths. It is worthy of clinical application.

Back to Basics: Recognition of Sepsis with New Definition

Patients with serious infections at risk of deterioration represent highly challenging clinical situations, and in particular for junior doctors. A comprehensive clinical examination that integrates the assessment of vital signs, hemodynamics, and peripheral perfusion into clinical decision making is key to responding promptly and effectively to evolving acute medical illnesses, such as sepsis or septic shock. Against this background, the new concept of sepsis definition may provide a useful link between junior doctors and consultant decision making. The purpose of this article is to introduce the updated definition of sepsis and suggest its practical implications, with particular emphasis on integrative clinical assessment, allowing for the rapid identification of patients who are at risk of further deterioration.