• Mathieu Oberlin, Frederic Balen, Lionel Bertrand, Noellie Chapeau, Bastien San Cirilo, Emmanuelle Ruols, Thomas Vandercamere, Clement Souchaud, Jean François Guedj, Bertille Konan, Alice Duval, Sebastien Mur, Anne Sophie Specia-Fajolles, Marie Salles, Eric Boullenger, Olivier Vuillot, and Xavier Bobbia.
• Emergency department, Jean Rougier Hospital, Cahors.
• Eur J Emerg Med. 2020 Oct 1; 27 (5): 373-378.

ObjectiveIn the emergency department (ED), the early identification of patients suspected of infection is a challenge for emergency physicians. Sepsis prevalence among patients with suspected infection in the ED remains uncertain. Our objective was to determine how many cases of sepsis occurred among patients with suspected infections in the ED.MethodsThis multi-center, prospective, observational study was conducted in 19 EDs in France. For 1 week, all consecutive ED patients with suspected infection (according to the emergency physician) were included. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of sepsis in the ED according to the 'sepsis-3' definition. Secondary endpoints involved comparisons among patients with and without sepsis.ResultsDuring the study period, 13 904 patients were screened; 494 (3.6%) consulted for suspected infection and were included in the study. Among them, 172 patients [39%, 95% confidence interval (CI) (34-44)] were diagnosed with sepsis. The total hospital mortality for patients with a suspected infection was 4.7% and the hospital mortality for sepsis patients was 9.9%.ConclusionIn the ED, among patients with a suspected infection, the prevalence of sepsis as per the 'sepsis-3' definition was 39% [95% CI (34-44)].

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