Importance of educational action to improve adjustment to the sepsis protocol

Introduction: Sepsis is a major global health problem and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people each year. It is the second leading cause of death in intensive care units, after coronary heart disease. Due to the high mortality rate, sepsis needs to be addressed through evidence-based practice, institutionalized protocols, well-developed clinical strategies, and continuing education. This study analyzed the clinical impact of adherence to an education tool for sepsis control measures at the Adventist Hospital of Belém in Brazil. Methodology: A prospective, quasi-experimental study was carried out from March 2015 to August 2016. The study included 320 patients diagnosed as having selection criteria with suspected sepsis. The patients were divided into periods for better visualization of the results. In August 2015, start the period in which an educational tool was applied for adherence to the hospital sepsis protocol. Results: The best adherence measure, after the tool application, was antimicrobial therapy. There was a reduction in the hospitalization time of the surviving patients from 19.7 days to 7.7 days and the mortality rate decreased from 63.3% to 30.6%. Conclusion: Although adherence to resuscitation packages complet was low, the education tool increased the insight of professionals in the identification of septic patients, resulting in a diagnosis and early treatment that corresponded with a reduction in hospitalization time and a decrease in mortality.