Know the Language
Infection with abnormal vital signs but no end-organ injury
What is a serious infection?
The most commonly missed and underestimated vital sign in obstetric patients
What is respiratory rate?
The purpose of Step 2 after a positive serious infection screen
What is bedside sepsis evaluation?
A renal finding that meets end-organ injury criteria
What is creatinine doubling from baseline or ≥1.2 mg/dL?
The maximum time antibiotics should be delayed once sepsis is suspected
What is 1 hour?
Infection with end-organ injury related to a dysregulated host response
What is sepsis?
A single respiratory rate that independently triggers a serious infection screen
What is ≥24 breaths per minute?
Three core components assessed during bedside evaluation
What are patient concerns, alternative diagnoses, and infection source?
A hematologic marker of end-organ injury
What are platelets <100,000?
The recommended initial fluid bolus for septic shock
What is 30 mL/kg ideal body weight?
The reason CMQCC introduced the term “serious infection”
What is to identify high-risk patients before end-organ injury occurs?
Why heart rate must be sustained before meeting screening criteria
What is to avoid false positives from transient changes?
The default action if no alternative diagnosis is identified
What is to proceed to action and treat infection?
A respiratory finding that qualifies as end-organ injury
What is SpO₂ <92% or new oxygen requirement?
Initial fluid recommendation for serious infection without end-organ injury
What is 500–1,000 mL (up to 1–2 L based on response)?
A common cognitive bias where abnormal findings are gradually accepted as “normal”
What is normalization of deviance?
The required method for temperature measurement when screening for infection
What is an oral temperature?
How often vital signs should be reassessed after a positive screen
What is at least every 30 minutes?
A neurologic sign of end-organ injury
What is new confusion, agitation, or unresponsiveness?
The most important action after giving fluids and antibiotics
What is planned reassessment of vitals, perfusion, and clinical response?
According to CMQCC teaching points, this exact phrase should NOT appear in the chart unless end-organ injury is present.
What is “rule out sepsis”?
Why blood pressure is not used as a screening criterion for serious infection
What is because it is more useful as an indicator of septic shock, not early screening?
Why bedside evaluation is considered the most important step in the pathway
What is because it confirms infection, excludes other diagnoses, and identifies end-organ injury?
A postpartum patient with suspected infection has received fluids but now has SpO₂ 91% on room air, new confusion, and platelets of 95,000.
What is sepsis (infection with end-organ injury)?
For a patient with septic shock and an ideal body weight of 60 kg, CMQCC recommends this total crystalloid volume to be given within the first 3 hours.
What is 1.8 liters of crystalloid (30 mL/kg × 60 kg)?