Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock 2012 Released at the Society for Critical Care Medicine 2013 Congress

DENVER, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Simulation Corporation's (MSC) SimSuite Sepsis Quality Initiative Program, focusing on the early identification and treatment of sepsis, is aligned with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines. Following the January 20 release of the guidelines for management of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, MSC is currently updating its sepsis curriculum and knowledge assessments to reflect the revised guidelines.

MSC's updated Sepsis Quality Initiative Program, including a new online module within the Sepsis Library online series focusing exclusively on the revisions: "Sepsis Update 2012," will be available in March 2013. Sepsis continues to be a challenge for healthcare organizations to identify and effectively treat. More than 1.6 million people in the U.S. were treated for sepsis in 2009, and the associated mortality is estimated at 16%.ⁱ Nearly one in four sepsis patients who develop severe sepsis or septic shock will die.

"The early identification of sepsis and implementation of early evidence-based therapies have been documented to improve outcomes and decrease sepsis-related mortality," according to the SSC.ⁱⁱ Further, "The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines Committee hopes that over time, particularly through education programs ... the guidelines will influence bedside healthcare practitioner behavior that will reduce the burden of sepsis worldwide."ⁱⁱⁱ

Since 2009, MSC has partnered with more than 200 U.S. hospitals to reduce sepsis-associated mortality and lower sepsis healthcare costs through an innovative simulation-based education and assessment program for frontline healthcare providers. A California healthcare system partner has experienced a 65% decrease in mortality (representing 1,300 lives saved) and realized over $47 million in healthcare cost savings following implementation of MSC's Sepsis Quality Initiative Program.^iv

"The greatest outcome improvement can be made through education ... for those caring for severe sepsis patients ... across the spectrum of acute care," according to the SSC.^v MSC's Sepsis Quality Initiative Program is the only simulation and metrics-based training solution that focuses on early identification to help healthcare organizations improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.

The 2012 SSC guideline update also recommended that healthcare organizations follow evidence-based practices to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia, a precursor to sepsis, and prevent venous thromboembolism in septic patients. MSC is proud to also offer quality initiative programs aligned with evidence-based guidelines for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia and prevention of venous thromboembolism. For more information about the Sepsis, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, and Venous Thromboembolism Quality Initiative Programs, please visit www.medsimulation.com/QualityInitiativePrograms.asp.

About Medical Simulation Corporation

Medical Simulation Corporation (MSC) is a worldwide healthcare leader in accelerating patient access to new medical therapies, achieving the best patient outcomes, reducing patient mortality, and reducing the cost of healthcare delivery. For more information, please visit www.medsimulation.com or call 888/889-5882.

ⁱ AHRQ Healthcare Utilization Project Statistical Brief #122, Septicemia in US Hospitals 2009 (October 2011)

ⁱⁱ Levy MM, Delinger RP, Townsend SR, et al, Surviving Sepsis Campaign: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign: Results of an international guideline-based performance improvement program targeting severe sepsis. Crit Care Med 2010: 6:331-334.

ⁱⁱⁱ Dellinger, R.P. et al; Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2012. Crit Care Med 2013: 41:580-637.

^iv "Using Simulation to Improve Sepsis Outcomes," Patty Garrity-Jasper, RN, Mercy General Hospital/Dignity Health, February 1, 2012, International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare.

^v AHRQ Healthcare Utilization Project Statistical Brief #122, Septicemia in US Hospitals 2009 (October 2011)

SOURCE Medical Simulation Corporation