Ruffell Alison J
ITU, Colchester General Hospital, Colchester.
Nurs Crit Care. 2004 Nov-Dec;9(6):257-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1362-1017.2004.00079.x.
--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.
