IDSA-Led Position Paper Calls for New Guidelines for Improving Sepsis Outcomes

1.7 million U.S. adults develop sepsis each year, and at least one in five die during hospitalization.

Aug. 27, 2026

Key Highlights

Implement rapid molecular testing combined with antimicrobial stewardship to improve pathogen detection and treatment accuracy.
Establish hospital workflows ensuring immediate antibiotic therapy for patients with septic shock to reduce delays in care.
Utilize electronic sepsis surveillance systems to monitor patient progress and identify cases promptly.
Monitor and optimize empiric antibiotic therapy to prevent both undertreatment and unnecessary broad-spectrum use.
Create a multidisciplinary sepsis governance structure to coordinate care, improve outcomes, and guide continuous quality improvement.

IDSA and other professional societies released a position paper aimed at improving sepsis outcomes in U.S. hospitals. CIDRAP has the news.

The recommendations were published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. They cover six domains: diagnostic testing and pathogen detection, antimicrobial management and delivery, surveillance and performance metrics, adjunctive therapy, program infrastructure and organizational support, and infection prevention.

Approximately 1.7 million U.S. adults develop sepsis annually, and at least one in five die during hospitalization. Some of the specific recommendations laid out in the paper include implementing rapid molecular testing paired with antimicrobial stewardship support; implementing hospital workflows to ensure that patients with septic shock receive immediate antibiotic therapy; monitoring both inadequate and unnecessarily broad empiric antibiotic therapy in patients with suspected sepsis; implementing electronic sepsis surveillance; and establishing a multidisciplinary sepsis governance structure.

The authors also say clear reductions in sepsis mortality have not been achieved following implementation of strategies from, for instance, CMS. More guidance is needed to strengthen sepsis management across the continuum of care.