Editor’s Comment
The progress made in the last several years emphasizes the importance of early identification and aggressive treatment of sepsis. The Third International Consensus Definitions (Sepsis-3) have sparked great controversy in the sepsis community, because they delay the recognition of sepsis until organ damage occurs. In this Critical Care Commentary, Dr. Steven Q. Simpson asserts with solid arguments that the use of a screening tool with higher specificity for mortality, at the expense of sensitivity, is not a step in the right direction. Moving away from criteria that have been widely adopted in clinical trials and quality improvement initiatives throughout the world can be a setback in the battle to improve sepsis outcomes. Until prospectively validated criteria that allow earlier identification of sepsis are developed, there is no compelling reason for change.
Angel Coz, MD, FCCP
Section Editor
Dr. Simpson is Professor, Interim Director; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas.