Managing suspected sepsis in hemodynamically stable patients, especially when it’s characterized by ≥2 age-adjusted SIRS criteria, presents a unique set of challenges, including high false alarm rates and difficult treatment decisions. MeMed BV has the potential to significantly impact this area by providing a rapid method for etiology assessment, distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections. This crucial differentiation enables clinicians to avoid unnecessary treatments in cases of viral infections and promptly initiate appropriate therapy for bacterial infections. Consequently, MeMed BV can potentially enhance patient management, streamline the approach to suspected sepsis, and contribute to reducing the overall sepsis burden.
The challenge of suspected sepsis
Sepsis alerts are sensitive but not specific (only 16% diagnosed as septic)1
“We’re disrupting our workflow, and likely treating and admitting too many patients who are probably not septic.”
Head of ED, Main Campus of Regional IDN in the US
“Running up two flights of stairs can trigger the sepsis alert in epic. What should be done when encountering a well-appearing, low-risk patient?”
Emergency Physician in a Secondary Independent US Hospital
“The length of stay is prolonged for many patients who might not have needed therapy to begin with, driving up costs.”
Hospital CFO, Secondary Independent US Hospital
“Every morning, we gather as a group to consider who can be discharged.”
Hospitalist, Large Regional IDN in the US
MeMed BV performance in suspected sepsis
Notably, it achieved high diagnostic accuracy (>99% in adults),2 with further evidence showing a sensitivity of 98.8%, specificity of 89.7%, and a negative predictive value of 99.6%.3 These results highlight MeMed BV’s potential role in enhancing treatment decisions and patient outcomes in this patient population.
Learn more
Discover MeMed BV’s impact on antibiotic stewardship in suspected sepsis cases in this ACEP 2023 video presentation.
Potential cost savings
Consider a scenario where an average-sized ED triggers 10 sepsis alerts daily. Roughly 80% of these cases will follow the sepsis protocol, resulting in antibiotic administration and admission. If we conservatively assume that even one of them has low risk viral illness, MeMed BV could identify that patient and potentially lead to an earlier discharge, reduction in LOS and significant cost savings.
10 ED sepsis alerts/day1
Sepsis protocol for 80%
Just 1 patient = big impact
Incorporating MeMed BV into your sepsis protocol
Integrating MeMed BV into your ED’s protocol for managing suspected sepsis patients not only enhances hospital operations across various sectors but also aligns with the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines, ensuring best practices in sepsis care are met
- Emergency Physicians benefit from faster, more precise diagnostic and treatment decisions
- Hospitalists receive crucial decision-making support for superior patient care
- Administrators see potential cost savings and more efficient use of resources by minimizing unnecessary interventions and admissions; Quality benefits include improved metrics, compliance of sepsis bundle, and improved outcomes
- Antibiotic Stewardship Committee benefits from enhanced antimicrobial resistance efforts and lowers adverse event rates through careful antibiotic management
References
- Prescott HC, Seelye S, Wang XQ, Hogan CK, Smith JT, Kipnis P, et al. Temporal trends in antimicrobial prescribing during hospitalization for potential infection and sepsis. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Aug 1;182(8):805-13.
- Angel A, et al. American College of Emergency Medicine Scientific Assembly, 2023.
- Gottlieb T, et al. Military Health System Research Symposium, 2023.