Newsletter Wellness : Health-Care "Nourish n Flourish" : New CDC Sepsis Core Elements Data

Sepsis Awareness Month: CDC Remains Committed to Improving Sepsis Recognition and Care

CDC is committed to focusing on sepsis all year, but Sepsis Awareness Month provides a special opportunity to honor the patients and families impacted by this life-threatening medical emergency and participate in concentrated efforts to raise awareness about sepsis. This year during Sepsis Awareness Month, CDC is highlighting new data showing that hospitals have strengthened sepsis programs to improve processes and the quality of patient care. Read more in our latest Safe Healthcare blog post.

Measuring U.S. Progress to Get Ahead of Sepsis

The Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements, which were released in August 2023, help clinicians, hospitals, and health systems improve the identification, management, and outcomes of sepsis. Compared to 2022, hospitals showed improvements in the following areas in 2023:

78% reported having sepsis teams (up from 73%).
59% reported sufficient dedicated time for sepsis leadership (up from 55%).
66% reported their sepsis teams engaged with Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (up from 55%).

These data also highlight opportunities to strengthen hospital sepsis programs to optimize patient care. These areas include:

Improving awareness of sepsis signs and symptoms among certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians.
Evaluating the usability of local sepsis tools.
Implementing processes to support patients recovering from sepsis.
Improving access to key sepsis data.
Implementing processes to support prompt antimicrobial administration.
Increasing executive sponsorship for the sepsis program to ensure the program has the resources and support needed to accomplish its mission by appointing a senior administrator.

CDC will continue to monitor uptake of the Sepsis Core Elements across the U.S. Read more in the 2023 data report.

Join #SAM2024 & Share New Educational Resources

Additionally, you can get ready for Sepsis Awareness Month by downloading CDC’s expanded Get Ahead of Sepsis suite of education materials, including new materials for communities and schools and refreshed materials for patients and healthcare professionals. These new materials were created for parents and caregivers of children, as well as those who work or volunteer with children at schools, daycares, camps, sports, and other extracurricular activities. This new Get Ahead of Sepsis partner toolkit includes communication tools to make it easy for you and your organization to educate others about early recognition and prompt treatment of sepsis, as well as the importance of preventing and treating infections that can lead to sepsis.

Be sure to follow official CDC social media pages on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay tuned for more information about Sepsis Awareness Month 2024 using the hashtag #SAM2024.