The role of nurses in caring for older adults with sepsis in the intensive care unit.

Abstract

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that requires care in the intensive care unit, especially in older adults who tend to have serious complications, a prolonged length of hospital stay, and a high mortality rate compared to younger patients. Along with factors related to the aging process, including the immune system weakening and the body’s systems deteriorating, and important characteristics of older adults with sepsis include atypical presentations such as hypothermia, acute confusion state, loss of appetite, and malaise, resulting in complex and serious health problems. Screening sepsis to ensure older adults receive proper and timely treatment can reduce multiple organ dysfunction and mortality rates. Therefore, nurses must have the knowledge, understanding, and ability to care for older adults with sepsis while being admitted to the intensive care unit, which requires expert nursing care to achieve rapid screening, accurate diagnosis, and standard treatment to ensure patient safety without serious complications.