Code Sepsis: Clinical Microbiology’s Role in the Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infections and Sepsis

Credits: 1 CME/CMLE

Sepsis is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Each day more than 500 patients die from sepsis or its complications. Discuss the characteristics of bloodstream infections that lead to sepsis. Delineate the clinical needs of emergency department and Intensive-care physicians who treat bloodstream infections. Apply rapid microbiological methods and strategies to support rapid diagnosis and successful therapeutic intervention. Evaluate polymerase chain reaction (PCR), peptide nucleic acid--fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA FISH), and common biomarkers like procalcitonin within the context of their applications for rapid identification and characterization of bloodstream infections. Case examples include unusual presentations of sepsis that require a combination of laboratory testing methods for accurate diagnosis. A general knowledge of clinical laboratory methods or processes is assumed. more...