Abstract
--Mortality of patients with severe sepsis remains at unacceptable levels and recent new strategies are not being widely embraced. --Five strategies are discussed within this article [low tidal volumes in acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, early goal-directed therapy, drotrecogin alfa (activated), moderate dose corticosteroids and tight control of blood glucose]. --The critical care nurse plays a leading role in the detection, monitoring and treatment of patients with severe sepsis. --The role of the critical care nurse within the multidisciplinary team is explored. --Education, combination of strategies and the use of protocols are discussed.
MeSH terms
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Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
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Benchmarking
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Critical Care / methods*
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Critical Care / standards
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Fibrinolytic Agents / therapeutic use
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Goals
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Humans
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Hyperglycemia / metabolism
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Hyperglycemia / microbiology
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Hyperglycemia / prevention & control
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Monitoring, Physiologic / methods
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Monitoring, Physiologic / nursing
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Nurse's Role*
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Patient Care Planning / organization & administration
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Patient Care Team / organization & administration
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Protein C / therapeutic use
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Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use
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Respiration, Artificial / methods
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Respiration, Artificial / nursing
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Sepsis / complications
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Sepsis / mortality
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Sepsis / therapy*
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Tidal Volume
Substances
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Anti-Infective Agents
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents
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Fibrinolytic Agents
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Protein C
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Recombinant Proteins
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drotrecogin alfa activated