Early detection and treatment of patients with severe sepsis by prehospital personnel.

Background: Severe sepsis is a condition with a high mortality rate, and the majority of patients are first seen by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel.

Objective: This research sought to determine the feasibility of EMS providers recognizing a severe sepsis patient, thereby resulting in better patient outcomes if standard EMS treatments for medical shock were initiated.

Methods: We developed the Sepsis Alert Protocol that incorporates a screening tool using point-of-care venous lactate meters.