NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR THE EARLY RECOGNITION OF SEPSIS AND THEIR IMPACT ON MORTALITY
Keywords:
sepsis; nursing; early recognition; screening; mortality; protocol; PRISMA 2020Abstract
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/gt.v9i18.0397
Abstract
Background: Sepsis is a time-critical emergency in which delayed recognition may postpone antimicrobial therapy and initial resuscitation. Nurses are strategically positioned to identify early physiologic deterioration and activate rapid-response pathways. Objective: To synthesize evidence on nursing interventions for early sepsis recognition and assess their impact on mortality and timeliness of care. Methods: Systematic review reported according to PRISMA 2020. PubMed/MEDLINE was searched for primary studies published from January 1, 2004 through February 28, 2026. Eligible interventions included nurse-led or nurse-initiated screening, sepsis protocols, rapid-response pathways, alert systems, and education or simulation directly linked to early recognition and initial management. Owing to clinical and methodological heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Of 252 records identified, 49 reports underwent eligibility assessment and 30 primary studies were included. Interventions consistently improved screening, lactate testing, bundle compliance, and time to antibiotics. Several large before-after programs reported clinically meaningful mortality reductions, although other studies improved treatment timeliness without a significant mortality difference. Conclusions: Nursing-led or nursing-activated interventions improve the reliability and timeliness of early sepsis care. The mortality signal is favorable but remains limited by predominantly non-randomized quality-improvement designs.
Keywords: sepsis; nursing; early recognition; screening; mortality; protocol; PRISMA 2020.
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