ICU learning pathway | Definitions of Sepsis

Definitions of Sepsis
Session Overview
Description
This session describes the historical origins and modifications of the definitions of sepsis leading up to the 2016 definitions in Sepsis 3.

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the 1992 and 2001 definitions of sepsis
• Explain the changes leading up to the 2016 Sepsis 3 definition
• Describe the Sepsis 3 definition and its significance

Sepsis is an important cause of death in people of all ages.

The UK Sepsis Trust estimates that 137 000 people are admitted to hospital with sepsis every year in the UK, of which approximately 44 000 die.

Both the 2013 UK Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman enquiry [1](read details regarding the reference) and the 2015 UK National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) [2](read details regarding the reference) highlighted sepsis as being a leading cause of avoidable death that kills more people than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.

Prior to 1992 there was an awareness that sepsis was a severe reaction to infection, but there was no formalized definition that researchers and clinicians could use. A standardized definition was needed to enable accurate diagnosis and study. The Sepsis Definitions Task Force initially attempted to create this definition and then, through subsequent conferences, develop and improve it. There have thus been three iterations of sepsis definitions:

• Sepsis 1 - The 1992 definition of sepsis
• Sepsis 2 - The 2001 update
• Sepsis 3 - The 2016 definition of sepsis