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Sepsis deaths plummet after implementation of new emergency department protocol


October 5, 2016



Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when an infection spreads throughout the bloodstream. It affects approximately 30,000 Canadians each year and carries a death rate much higher than other critical conditions treated in the emergency department, such as heart attacks or strokes. It is also one of the most expensive conditions to treat, often requiring long stays in intensive care. In an effort to reduce the burden of this condition, an interdisciplinary group of physicians, nurses and scientists at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa developed and implemented a new bundled approach to sepsis care. This involved updating the emergency department sepsis protocol, implementing a comprehensive sepsis education campaign, promoting earlier recognition by modifying the triage algorithm, improving patient-flagging and giving nurses more authority to initiate treatment. The implementation of this new sepsis initiative resulted in a substantial decline in patient death rates, from 31 percent to 17 percent. This would translate into approximately 50 lives saved per year at The Ottawa Hospital and substantially reduced costs. See Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine for details.

Authors: McColl T, Gatien M, Calder L, Yadav K, Tam R, Ong M, Taljaard M, Stiell I.

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The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa


The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

For further information, please contact


Jennifer Ganton
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73325
Cell: 613-614-5253
jganton@ohri.ca