CHOP Nurse Receives Award for Work in Recognizing Sepsis
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Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body develops an overwhelming immune response to infection, such as pneumonia or a urinary tract infection. If left untreated, sepsis can lead to organ failure and even death. Clinical teams at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are trained to identify early signs of sepsis, treat patients, and create therapies to reverse the effects of the infection.
Mary Kate F. Abbadessa, MSN, RN, RN-BC, CPEN, a clinical nurse specialist fellow in the Emergency Department and Pediatric Sepsis Program at CHOP, was recently recognized for her work with sepsis patients. She was awarded the Erin’s Campaign for Kid’s Nursing Award from Sepsis Alliance for working on a two-tiered alert system to recognize sepsis. The first tier helps recognize if the patient has a faster-than-normal heart rate or low blood pressure. A second alarm goes off signaling the patient is at risk for sepsis.
Mary Kate spoke with Children’s Hospitals Today about her work to recognize sepsis in its early stages. You can read her interview here.