Staffing more strongly tied to deaths than adherence to mandated sepsis care bundles<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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TUESDAY, Jan. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Improving hospital nurse staffing could significantly reduce deaths from sepsis, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in the American Journal of Infection Control.<\/em><\/p>\n Karen B. Lasater, Ph.D., R.N., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues used linked data sources from 2017 including MEDPAR patient claims, Hospital Compare, American Hospital Association, and a large survey of registered nurses licensed in New York state to estimate the effect of hospital patient-to-nurse staffing ratios and adherence to the Early Management Bundle for patients with Severe Sepsis\/Septic Shock SEP-1 sepsis bundles.<\/p>\n The researchers found that each additional patient per nurse was associated with 12 percent higher odds of in-hospital mortality, 7 percent higher odds of 60-day mortality, 7 percent higher odds of 60-day readmission, and longer lengths of stay, even after accounting for patient and hospital covariates, including hospital adherence to SEP-1 bundles. There was an association between adherence to SEP-1 bundles and lower in-hospital mortality and shorter lengths of stay; however, the effects were markedly smaller than those seen for staffing.<\/p>\n “Results show that improving nurse staffing in New York hospitals could substantially reduce deaths from sepsis over and above the benefits of mandated care bundles,” Lasater said in a statement.<\/p>\n