Impact of the Introduction of a Performance Improvement Program on the Initial Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock in Adults in the Emergency Department: a Before-and-after Study (IPA-SOS)

This study is looking at information from adults who were treated at Brest University Hospital for sepsis or septic shock.

You might be included if you were an adult patient and had specific blood test results (positive blood cultures) along with a certain score (called a SOFA score) that indicates organ problems. Or, you might have been included if you had blood tests taken, a positive SOFA score, and the hospital's 'sepsis team' confirmed you had sepsis or septic shock.

However, you couldn't be included if you were under legal guardianship (like a court-appointed protector), if you didn't want your information used for the study, or if you were pregnant.

If your past medical records are included in this study, you won't need to do anything extra. This is an 'observational study,' which means researchers are simply looking back at existing health information from patients. They are not asking anyone to take new medicines, have extra appointments, or change their regular care.

The researchers will be collecting and analysing information that's already in your medical notes, such as results from blood tests (like blood cultures), your SOFA scores (which show how well your organs are working), and details about the treatments you received, like when antibiotics were given and how much fluid you received. This helps them understand how quickly and effectively sepsis was managed during your hospital stay.

Your participation is passive, meaning you don't actively 'take part' in the traditional sense. The study simply reviews anonymous medical data collected during past hospital visits. There are no study visits, no special assessments, and no follow-up required from you. The study simply observes and analyses care that has already happened.