Reducing mortality due to severe sepsis requires an organized process that guarantees early recognition and consistent application of evidence-based practices.  The Severe Sepsis Bundles are a series of evidence-based therapies that, when implemented together, will achieve better outcomes than if implemented individually.

There are two sepsis bundles. Each bundle articulates requirements for specific timeframes.

• Sepsis Resucitation Bundle: Evidence-based goals that must be completed within 6 hours for patients with severe sepsis, septic shock and/or lactate > 4 mmol/L (36 mg/dl).

• Sepsis Management Bundle: Evidence-based goals that must be completed within 24 hours for patients with severe sepsis, septic shock and/or lactate > 4 mmol/L (36 mg/dl).

For patients with severe sepsis, as many as seven Sepsis Resuscitation Bundle elements may be necessary to accomplish within the first 6 hours of presentation, and as many as four Sepsis Management Bundle elements must be accomplished within the first 24 hours of presentation. Some bundle elements may not be completed if the clinical conditions described in the bundle do not prevail, but clinicians should still assess for those conditions and make a determination. The intention in applying the Sepsis Management Bundle is to perform all indicated tasks 100 percent of the time within the first 24 hours of indication for severe sepsis.