News: Septic shock patients at readmission risk

The good news is that patients who suffer from septic shock are more likely than ever to recover from this potentially deadly condition, according to researchers at Penn Medicine. The bad news: 23% wind up back in the hospital within 30 days, some with a potentially fatal condition.

“Our hope is that these findings will give a new urgency to the need for better patient education regarding the signs of a recurrent infection and common reasons for readmission in addition to improved discharge planning to keep these patients healthy and from returning to the hospital,” wrote Mark Mikkelsen, MD, MSCE, associate director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit and assistant professor of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Editor’s Note: This article originally published in the Case Management Insider.