The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Prehospital recognition and antibiotics for 999 patients with sepsis: protocol for a feasibility study

Prehospital recognition and antibiotics for 999 patients with sepsis: protocol for a feasibility study
Prehospital recognition and antibiotics for 999 patients with sepsis: protocol for a feasibility study
Background: Sepsis is a common condition which kills between 36,000 and 64,000 people every year in the UK. Early recognition and management of sepsis has been shown to reduce mortality and improve the health and well-being of people with sepsis. Paramedics frequently come into contact with patients with sepsis and are well placed to provide early diagnosis and treatment. We aim to determine the feasibility of undertaking a fully powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the clinical and cost-effectiveness of paramedics obtaining blood cultures from and administering IV antibiotics to patients with sepsis, so we can make a decision about whether to proceed to a fully powered randomised controlled trial, which will answer questions regarding safety and effectiveness for patients and benefit to the National Health Service (NHS). Methods/design: This is an individually randomised, two-arm feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial with a 1:1 ratio. Sixty paramedics will receive training to assist them to recognise sepsis using a screening tool, obtain blood cultures, and provide IV antibiotics. If sepsis is suspected, paramedics will randomly allocate patients to intervention or usual care using their next sequential individually issued scratch card. Patients will be followed up at 90 days using linked anonymised data to capture length of hospital admission and mortality. We will also collect self-reported health-related quality of life (using SF-12) at this time. We will interview ten patients by telephone and hold a focus group with paramedics, to find out what they think about the intervention. Discussion: At the end of this study, we will make a recommendation about whether a full randomised controlled trial of paramedics obtaining blood cultures and administering IV antibiotics for sepsis is warranted, and if so, we will develop a proposal for research funding in order to take the work forward.
2055-5784
Moore, Chris
7258c4a5-1940-4d08-b4aa-803b89724882
Bulger, Jenna
3a587a20-1433-466d-9742-afb4e0a123fb
Morgan, Matt
e0aaa923-bb11-47fc-aaba-df304cdef58c
Driscoll, Timothy
a51cda57-0ebb-413f-92f9-2a5f05c81e6b
Porter, Alison
12d7b83a-ce50-4b5c-9953-bf5a2c582b85
Islam, Saiful
9b63ca9e-7d6e-49ab-976e-6c3c417b2466
Smyth, Mike
a9459bf8-4ce8-44ad-8574-c4c69c477a85
Perkins, Gavin
fd93b34c-2485-488a-8ab6-f8faf0690f73
Sewell, Bernadette
d753e76b-592d-4abe-a4f3-c0f8aa8b41ce
Rainer, Timothy
8b68bf10-c8a0-4f40-98dd-c43ed5a116a7
Nanayakkara, Prabath
21c71217-759f-4889-a57d-85df78d93893
Okolie, Chukwudi
d4399c71-20cd-4531-8556-bf0ee68e4dc2
Allen, Susan
d39d87e9-cc70-4d52-8486-19f06918f634
Fegan, Greg
4f1ab3eb-0b57-4d7e-b14c-57ade05e4b4d
Davies, Jan
69421644-6ce9-49ea-9f83-7cf46f180beb
Foster, Theresa
57840909-db8d-40ea-9ed2-c6d4e6779331
Francis, Nick
9b610883-605c-4fee-871d-defaa86ccf8e
Smith, Fang Gao
a2b6ea21-030c-4e6a-8468-ca0d070777ac
Ellis, Gemma
f776e4ac-d0c5-441d-bd2e-e126aa87267a
Shanahan, Tracy
56f0e040-046c-4f6f-b20b-e0908a527126
Howe, Robin
e02d3c72-421b-4396-bf99-392e8847247f
Snooks, Helen
7cd8ec11-2196-480d-94c9-e94402cdcba2
Moore, Chris
7258c4a5-1940-4d08-b4aa-803b89724882
Bulger, Jenna
3a587a20-1433-466d-9742-afb4e0a123fb
Morgan, Matt
e0aaa923-bb11-47fc-aaba-df304cdef58c
Driscoll, Timothy
a51cda57-0ebb-413f-92f9-2a5f05c81e6b
Porter, Alison
12d7b83a-ce50-4b5c-9953-bf5a2c582b85
Islam, Saiful
9b63ca9e-7d6e-49ab-976e-6c3c417b2466
Smyth, Mike
a9459bf8-4ce8-44ad-8574-c4c69c477a85
Perkins, Gavin
fd93b34c-2485-488a-8ab6-f8faf0690f73
Sewell, Bernadette
d753e76b-592d-4abe-a4f3-c0f8aa8b41ce
Rainer, Timothy
8b68bf10-c8a0-4f40-98dd-c43ed5a116a7
Nanayakkara, Prabath
21c71217-759f-4889-a57d-85df78d93893
Okolie, Chukwudi
d4399c71-20cd-4531-8556-bf0ee68e4dc2
Allen, Susan
d39d87e9-cc70-4d52-8486-19f06918f634
Fegan, Greg
4f1ab3eb-0b57-4d7e-b14c-57ade05e4b4d
Davies, Jan
69421644-6ce9-49ea-9f83-7cf46f180beb
Foster, Theresa
57840909-db8d-40ea-9ed2-c6d4e6779331
Francis, Nick
9b610883-605c-4fee-871d-defaa86ccf8e
Smith, Fang Gao
a2b6ea21-030c-4e6a-8468-ca0d070777ac
Ellis, Gemma
f776e4ac-d0c5-441d-bd2e-e126aa87267a
Shanahan, Tracy
56f0e040-046c-4f6f-b20b-e0908a527126
Howe, Robin
e02d3c72-421b-4396-bf99-392e8847247f
Snooks, Helen
7cd8ec11-2196-480d-94c9-e94402cdcba2

Moore, Chris, Bulger, Jenna, Morgan, Matt, Driscoll, Timothy, Porter, Alison, Islam, Saiful, Smyth, Mike, Perkins, Gavin, Sewell, Bernadette, Rainer, Timothy, Nanayakkara, Prabath, Okolie, Chukwudi, Allen, Susan, Fegan, Greg, Davies, Jan, Foster, Theresa, Francis, Nick, Smith, Fang Gao, Ellis, Gemma, Shanahan, Tracy, Howe, Robin and Snooks, Helen (2018) Prehospital recognition and antibiotics for 999 patients with sepsis: protocol for a feasibility study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 4, [64]. (doi:10.1186/s40814-018-0258-8).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: Sepsis is a common condition which kills between 36,000 and 64,000 people every year in the UK. Early recognition and management of sepsis has been shown to reduce mortality and improve the health and well-being of people with sepsis. Paramedics frequently come into contact with patients with sepsis and are well placed to provide early diagnosis and treatment. We aim to determine the feasibility of undertaking a fully powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the clinical and cost-effectiveness of paramedics obtaining blood cultures from and administering IV antibiotics to patients with sepsis, so we can make a decision about whether to proceed to a fully powered randomised controlled trial, which will answer questions regarding safety and effectiveness for patients and benefit to the National Health Service (NHS). Methods/design: This is an individually randomised, two-arm feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial with a 1:1 ratio. Sixty paramedics will receive training to assist them to recognise sepsis using a screening tool, obtain blood cultures, and provide IV antibiotics. If sepsis is suspected, paramedics will randomly allocate patients to intervention or usual care using their next sequential individually issued scratch card. Patients will be followed up at 90 days using linked anonymised data to capture length of hospital admission and mortality. We will also collect self-reported health-related quality of life (using SF-12) at this time. We will interview ten patients by telephone and hold a focus group with paramedics, to find out what they think about the intervention. Discussion: At the end of this study, we will make a recommendation about whether a full randomised controlled trial of paramedics obtaining blood cultures and administering IV antibiotics for sepsis is warranted, and if so, we will develop a proposal for research funding in order to take the work forward.

Text
s40814-018-0258-8 - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (1MB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 4 March 2018
Published date: 12 March 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 436494
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/436494
ISSN: 2055-5784
PURE UUID: 3f7fec3c-01ba-4291-9e5c-75d330468950
ORCID for Nick Francis: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8939-7312

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Dec 2019 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:58

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Chris Moore
Author: Jenna Bulger
Author: Matt Morgan
Author: Timothy Driscoll
Author: Alison Porter
Author: Saiful Islam
Author: Mike Smyth
Author: Gavin Perkins
Author: Bernadette Sewell
Author: Timothy Rainer
Author: Prabath Nanayakkara
Author: Chukwudi Okolie
Author: Susan Allen
Author: Greg Fegan
Author: Jan Davies
Author: Theresa Foster
Author: Nick Francis ORCID iD
Author: Fang Gao Smith
Author: Gemma Ellis
Author: Tracy Shanahan
Author: Robin Howe
Author: Helen Snooks

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×