Sepsis is one of the most time sensitive emergencies encountered in prehospital care. Across the United States, more than 1.7 million adults develop sepsis each year and nearly 350,000 die from sepsis or related complications. Early recognition and treatment remain the single most important factors influencing survival.

Data from national quality initiatives and state level surveillance programs continue to show the same pattern: the earlier sepsis is recognized and treated, the better the outcome for the patient. Because EMS providers are often the first clinicians to evaluate these patients, strengthening early recognition and field decision making remains a critical step in improving sepsis outcomes.

For EMS providers, this places the first critical minutes of care squarely in the field. Many septic patients do not initially appear critically ill. They may present with subtle changes in mentation, mild tachycardia, vague weakness, or shortness of breath that can easily be mistaken for other conditions. Yet these early findings often represent the beginning of a rapidly evolving systemic infection that can progress to shock if not recognized and treated quickly.

We are honored to welcome Michael Ward, MD, emergency physician with UW Health and physician with UW Med Flight. Dr. Ward brings a health system perspective to critical illness to critical illness, working closely with both emergency departments and prehospital teams. His work focuses on improving early recognition and treatment of time sensitive conditions across the emergency care system.

In this session, Dr. Ward will share practical insights from both the emergency department and the field perspective, helping EMS providers better recognize the early signs of sepsis and understand how the first minutes of care can influence the entire course of a patient’s illness.

Global Educational Objectives

Upon participation in this activity, EMS and emergency care professionals will be able to:

• Recognize early clinical indicators of suspected sepsis in the prehospital environment using patient presentation, vital sign trends, and risk factors.
• Apply appropriate early management strategies including oxygenation, fluid resuscitation considerations, and ongoing patient reassessment.
• Communicate suspected sepsis findings effectively to receiving facilities to support early activation of hospital sepsis pathways.
• Identify situations that require priority transport and early escalation of care for patients with suspected sepsis.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for:

• Emergency Medical Responders (EMR)
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT)
• Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMT)
• Paramedics
• Critical Care Paramedics
• Emergency department nurses
• Advanced practice providers
• Physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in emergency response and patient care across the prehospital and emergency department setting.

CAPCE Accreditation Statement

This activity is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE) for 1 hour of EMS continuing education credit.

• CAPCE Basic CEH
• CAPCE Advanced CEH

Participants must attend the live session in its entirety and complete the required attendance verification and evaluation to receive continuing education credit.

Granting of CAPCE credit does not represent endorsement by CAPCE or its board members.

Cost

There is no cost to attend this activity.

Register for the live session here: “Every Minute Counts”: Field Sepsis Recognition and Early Intervention