A Multi-center Quasi-experimental Study in Northern Italy to Evaluate the Impact of Sepsis Bundle in Obstetric Settings: the SOS Study

Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, the studies available in the literature report very high maternal and fetal/neonatal mortality and morbidity in cases of sepsis occurring during pregnancy or the puerperium. It is the third leading cause of maternal death after postpartum hemorrhage and eclamptic syndrome.

Since 2002, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) has emphasized the importance of standardized guidelines (sepsis bundles) for the management of sepsis and septic shock in the general population, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. Randomized controlled trials have not produced consistent results regarding the actual impact of sepsis bundles on reducing mortality and morbidity.

There are even fewer studies specifically addressing maternal sepsis.

In May 2018, a Regional Operational Guidance Document for the early identification and management of sepsis in obstetrics was approved and distributed (Decree No. 7691 of 28/05/2018). It contains recommendations addressed to all healthcare facilities in the Lombardy region that have Gynecology and Obstetrics services, as well as to those facilities that, although lacking such services, might still be required to manage pregnancy-related issues.

The purpose of this document is to standardize diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in order to allow early recognition and prompt management, aimed at reducing complications of sepsis in obstetrics, in accordance with the 2016 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines.

Our study aims to evaluate the impact of the aforementioned regional decree on the management of maternal sepsis in the main maternity hospitals in Lombardy.

In particular, we will assess the effect of the decree and its implementation on the length of hospital stay for patients diagnosed with sepsis during pregnancy and the puerperium. Secondary objectives will also include evaluating in-hospital mortality, the number of transfers to the Intensive Care Unit, and the incidence of complications related to the septic event, such as premature rupture of membranes, preterm birth, miscarriage, and fetal or perinatal death.

We will compare two populations of women hospitalized with a diagnosis of sepsis during pregnancy or the puerperium, before and after the approval and dissemination of the regional bundle.

In parallel, we will assess the appropriateness of blood culture requests and observe the incidence of the different microorganisms responsible for the septic event.