Fast Track Alert System Timer (FAST): Reducing time to antibiotics for septic patients in the emergency department

Abstract

INTRODUCTION – Timely antibiotic administration in sepsis patients is critical in reducing mortality. Many studies apply the alert system or timer to alert care team members to improve time in each care process. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the timer countdown on Time to antibiotic in septic patients.

METHODS – This study is a prospective cohort study, collecting data between April 2023 and September 2023 in the ED of a tertiary care hospital. By comparing the pre and post-implementation process (3 months each), the primary outcome is Time to antibiotic, and the secondary outcome is the Mortality rate.

RESULTS – Comparing the average Time to antibiotics, the pre-implementation process time is 54 minutes (SD=35.6), and the post-implementation process time is 34 minutes (SD=19.5) (p= 0.0315). The in-hospital mortality rate is significantly improved in the Post-implementation group compared to the Pre-implementation group, with average mortality rates of 29% and 45% (p= 0.029), respectively.

CONCLUSION – Fast track Alert System Timer can improve the Time to antibiotic in septic patients. This study outlines an easy-to-implement, low-cost solution for emergency departments looking to shorten the Time to antibiotic.

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