Diagnosing Pediatric Sepsis Within Two Minutes

Pediatric patients’ small bodies and weaker immune systems increase their susceptibility to sepsis, so time is of the essence when it comes to detecting signs that a patient might be septic. With mobile warnings in Epic, clinicians at Michigan Medicine are able to screen pediatric patients for sepsis within two minutes of new symptoms.

When data in a patient’s chart indicates the early stages of sepsis, nurses see a notification from Epic on their phones. They’re advised to immediately complete sepsis screenings and, if necessary, pull in other members of the patient’s care team to discuss treatment.

Within four months of starting the new workflow, Michigan Medicine identified and treated 13 kids for sepsis within 15 minutes of sepsis symptoms beginning. Since 2018, the data from the screenings has also helped them make warnings even more accurate and reduce alert fatigue.

“We know that early recognition is better for patients,” said Dr. Kera Luckritz, “so we can protect kids from sepsis.”

Epic community members can learn more from Michigan Medicine’s UGM slides and audio on the UserWeb.