University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

SDE_WXS_PROJ_85

To develop an acute phase or infection risk score based on routinely available biomarker data, that could be used in conjunction with NEWS2 to improve recognition of sepsis in the Emergency Department or general ward patients. NEWS2 is the standardised tool for detecting deterioration in the next 24 hours, used for all hospitalised patients in the United Kingdom. A retrospective observational (backwards looking) cohort study of all all non-elective adult admissions with at least one overnight stay for whom vital signs and laboratory data are available on electronic patient record systems. All admissions will be place in an “Suspicion of Sepsis (SOS)” cohort (approximately 30% of admissions) or control cohort based on ICD-10 coded discharge diagnoses based on the presence or absence of ICD-10 codes signifying infection. The cohorts will be systematically compared for differences in vital signs and common laboratory test results that signify infection risk and acute organ dysfunction, and investigate the relationship to outcomes such as death, ICU admission and acute organ support. Developing a sepsis risk score based on blood tests that are usually requested when NEWS2 signals deterioration (e.g., threshold NEWS2 of 5 or above) that can be easily used within the NEWS2 deterioration framework by clinicians in the Emergency Department or on inpatient wards, may provide an objective risk-stratifying tool to improve the early recognition of sepsis.

Sepsis is a serious and life-threatening condition, and early recognition can save lives. In hospitals across the UK, doctors and nurses already use a standard early warning system called NEWS2 to spot patients who may be getting worse. This study aims to improve how sepsis is recognised by developing a simple sepsis risk score using blood test results that are already routinely taken when a patient’s NEWS2 score shows signs of deterioration. The goal is to support clinicians with an additional, objective tool that fits into existing ways of working, rather than adding extra tests or steps. The research will look back at routine hospital records from adult patients who were admitted as emergencies and stayed at least one night in hospital. By comparing patients who were suspected of having an infection with those who were not, the study will explore which combinations of vital signs and blood test results are most strongly linked to serious outcomes such as admission to intensive care or death. By using information that is already collected in everyday care, this work aims to help clinicians recognise sepsis earlier and more reliably, supporting faster treatment and improving outcomes for patients in emergency departments and hospital wards.

31/10/2025

TRE