I am talking sepsis only

William E. Haik, M.D., F.C.C.P., C.D.I.P.
AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer
Office: (850) 863-2110
Cell: (850) 803-5854
Fax: (850) 864-4438
 

> On Jan 17, 2015, at 5:05 PM, Terry Clemmer <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Let's not confuse sepsis and severe sepsis. Severe sepsis requires an organ 
> failure that indicates the systemic inflammatory response is damaging organs 
> this is the group with higher mortality. Others may qualify to be discharged
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Jan 17, 2015, at 15:13, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>> This is what I am been predicting!
>>  
>>   I have spoke directly with Dr Levy on several occasions and he maintains 
>> if you have  TWO  sustained abnormalities of the SIRS criteria and not due 
>> to a non- inflammatory condition then he and the literature states that is 
>> sepsis... and this should stand with external reviewers.
>>  
>> However, as a clinician I have trouble with this  and I am sure I have a lot 
>> of patients with acute infective bronchitis who meet the criteria  for 
>> sepsis in my office that I send home on antibiotics...Hardly are they septic!
>>  
>>   So at least make sure that the SIRS criteria are sustained till treatment 
>> is begun and not just a triage VS done in the ER. I also (unlike Dr Levy's 
>> advice) don't count an increased heart rate or RR in patients who are 
>> hypoxic, as in pneumonia.
>>  Good luck!
>>  
>>  
>>  
>> William E. Haik, M.D., F.C.C.P., C.D.I.P.
>> AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer
>> Office: (850) 863-2110
>> Cell: (850) 803-5854
>> Fax: (850) 864-4438
>>  
>> In a message dated 1/17/2015 9:45:57 A.M. Central Standard Time, 
>> [email protected] writes:
>> I am writing to inquire how other institutions are handling or if you are 
>> even encountering concerns, that we are “over-calling”  early sepsis, 
>> especially when the only SIRS criteria are tachycardia and tachypnea 
>> (sometimes only a single set of VS). We are reviewing all short stay 
>> (Observation, 1-2 day stays) and see “septic” patients who are “in no acute 
>> distress”, are only here in Observation status and never Inpatient, or stay 
>> as IP only 1-2 days, are not sent home on any antibiotics or only a short 
>> course of oral antibiotics.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Often their only SIRS criteria are tachycardia and tachypnea—which are quite 
>> non-specific markers that can be seen with anxiety, pain, etc. but when 
>> paired with a suspected or documented infection role up to Sepsis?!
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Since Sepsis is a high-paying condition it’s also a high audit DRG (mainly 
>> because, in the past, many patients were in ICU, very ill, and expending 
>> lots of resources). Now that “early sepsis” is being diagnosed quite 
>> frequently, external auditors are reviewing sepsis DRG charts, and disagree 
>> that  sepsis was present at all, recode the chart, reassign the DRG and 
>> reduce payment to UTI, pneumonia, etc.  This is so frustrating as we are 
>> trying to educated our providers and nurses on the importance of having a 
>> high suspicion for sepsis and early recognition and now are turning around 
>> and saying don’t say ‘Sepsis’ unless they are “sick” because we need to be 
>> able to defend it!? L
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Any feedback, thoughts, or tools on how other institutions are handling 
>> this, would be greatly appreciated especially when it comes to the SIRS 
>> criteria which most of our clinicians call “soft criteria”?
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Thank you in advance for your time and expertise!
>> 
>> Claudia
>> 
>> Claudia Orth BSN, RN, CCRN-K
>> 
>> Regional Sepsis Coordinator
>> 
>> Munson Medical Center
>> 
>> (231) 935-5692 (Voice)
>> 
>> [email protected]
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> 
>> 
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