EARLY DETECTION OF SEPSIS: THE ROLE OF NURSING IN THE APPLICATION OF PROTOCOLS AND CLINICAL SCALES

Abstract

epsis is a severe systemic inflammatory response caused by infection and remains one of the leading causes of in-hospital mortality worldwide. Early recognition is essential to reduce complications and improve patient prognosis. Objective: to analyze the role of the nursing team in the early detection of sepsis and adherence to clinical hospital protocols. Methodology: this integrative literature review was conducted between February and May 2025. The search was performed in the Bireme platform, within the Virtual Health Library database. Initially, 29620 articles were identified. After applying eligibility criteria, 48 studies were selected for title and abstract screening. Of these, 22 were excluded due to duplication or lack of relevance, resulting in six studies included in the final analysis. Results: the use of the qSOFA and SOFA scoring systems, combined with the one hour sepsis bundle, improves early identification and appropriate clinical management of the condition. However, barriers such as insufficient professional training, workload overload, and lack of standardized protocols continue to persist. Conclusion: continuing education and effective implementation of clinical protocols strengthen nursing practice, contributing to reduced sepsis mortality and to safe, evidence based patient care.