Surgical infections
-
Background: The greatest burden of sepsis- and septic shock-related morbidity and mortality is in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Accurate tracking of incidence and outcomes of patients in LMICs with sepsis has been limited by changing definitions, lack of diagnosis coding and health records, and deficits in personnel. Improving sepsis care in LMICs requires studying outcomes prospectively so that setting appropriate definitions, scoring systems, and treatment guidelines can be created. ⋯ Scaling up surgical capacity in LMICs is an important step to improve source control of sepsis. Conclusion: Management guidelines specific to LMICs for sepsis and septic shock need to be refined further and studied prospectively. Improving access to surgery will improve outcomes of surgical cases of sepsis.