Adult Guidelines
POTENTIAL SEPSIS Without Life-Threatening Organ Dysfunction

POTENTIAL SEPSIS Without Life-Threatening Organ Dysfunction

CLINICAL IDENTIFICATION

Two or more of:

  1. Temperature >38°C or <36°C
  2. Heart rate >90/min
  3. Respiratory rate >20/min or PaCO2 <32 mmHg
  4. White blood cell count >12,000/mm3 or <4,000/mm3 or >10% immature bands

PLUS

Potential source of infection

PLUS

eg, qSOFA 2 or more OR lactate greater than 4 mmol/L

DEFINITION

Features of the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) may help identify new infections in adult patients. However, the presence of SIRS alone is non-specific for infection or sepsis.

Patients who have SIRS criteria should be assessed for a potential source of infection.

Patients with a potential infection and no evidence of life-threatening organ dysfunction can be treated as per the “POTENTIAL SEPSIS without life-threatening organ dysfunction” in this section's empiric treatment guidelines.