How should I initiate the management of a patient with suspected sepsis in a primary care setting?

In primary care, if sepsis is suspected, assess the person for risk factors and clinical concern, including new-onset abnormalities of behaviour, circulation, or respiration ¹.

Use a structured set of observations to stratify risk, and consider using NEWS2 for patients aged 16 or over, or an appropriate early warning score for other age groups ¹.

If the person meets high risk criteria for severe illness or death from sepsis, arrange immediate hospital transfer, pre-alert secondary care, and consider administering broad-spectrum antibiotics without delay, ideally within 1 hour ².

If the person is at moderate risk, make a definitive diagnosis, manage any underlying condition, and provide information on symptoms to monitor and how to access emergency care if needed, while arranging further investigations and follow-up ².

Provide oxygen therapy if oxygen saturation is below 94%, unless contraindicated ¹.