Sepsis is a serious worldwide health care condition that is associated
with high mortality rates, despite improvements in the
ability to manage infection. New guidelines for the management
of sepsis were recently released that advocate for implementation
of care based on evidence-based practice for both adult
and pediatric patients. Critical care nurses are directly involved
in the assessment of patients at risk for developing sepsis and
in the treatment of patients with sepsis and can, therefore,
affect outcomes for critically ill patients. Nurses’ knowledge of
the recommendations in the new guidelines can help to ensure
that patients with sepsis receive therapies that are based on
the latest scientific evidence. This article presents an overview
of new evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of
adult patients with sepsis, highlighting the role of critical care
nurses.