SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Patient Safety: Predicting Deterioration in Patients Admitted With Sepsis

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<strong>Summary (≤300 words):</strong>

This study examined whether simple clinical measures can help guide bed placement decisions for patients admitted with sepsis, especially in a setting of limited hospital bed availability. Sepsis is a common cause of inpatient admission, and with post-pandemic increases in hospital occupancy and reductions in staffed beds, choosing the appropriate level of care has become increasingly important. The authors noted that initial ED values such as quickSOFA, lactate, and shock index have been associated with deterioration in prior research, but bed placement is often influenced more by the patient’s response to early treatment than by initial presentation alone.

The team reviewed all hospital medicine patients who experienced a <strong>Code Blue</strong> or <strong>Rapid Response</strong> event over a one-month period in 2025. A total of <strong>61 events</strong> were reviewed, and <strong>59 (97%)</strong> were rapid response events. <strong>Nine patients (14.7%)</strong> had been admitted for sepsis, and <strong>6 of these 9 (67%)</strong> had been admitted through the ED within the prior week.

Among the six sepsis patients admitted through the ED, the mean age was <strong>74.8 years</strong>, and <strong>83% were female</strong>. Their first recorded vital signs and labs did not clearly indicate high risk: mean heart rate was <strong>104 bpm</strong>, mean systolic blood pressure was <strong>157 mm Hg</strong>, mean shock index was <strong>1.6</strong> (range 0.9–2.8), and mean first lactate was <strong>2 mmol/L</strong> (range 1–5). However, the authors concluded that initial values alone did not reliably predict later clinical decline in this small sample.

The study suggests that <strong>trajectory of illness</strong>, rather than only initial parameters, should be considered when making level-of-care decisions. The authors highlight shock index as a potentially useful marker, but emphasize that larger studies are needed to validate these findings.

Asset Subtitle

Amy L. Mattingly

Meta Tag

Author List Amy L. Mattingly, Areeba Kara, Jeremiah Munsell

Category Research

Concept Sepsis

Concept Shock Index

Concept Level of Care

Concept Clinical Indicator

Concept Patient Deterioration

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Indiana University Health Medical Group

Presenting Author Amy L. Mattingly

Track Transitions of Care

Keywords

sepsis

bed placement

rapid response

code blue

shock index

lactate

quickSOFA

hospital medicine

level of care

clinical deterioration

Sepsis

Shock Index

Level of Care

Clinical Indicator

Patient Deterioration