Abstract
We conducted a survey to assess knowledge and perceptions about sepsis. The questionnaire was delivered to the following categories of respondents: resident doctors without certification in intensive care medicine (D), nurses (N), medical students (MS), nursing students (NS), students in a university of science (SS), and patients who came to an outpatient clinic for preoperative assessment for anesthesia (P) (total n = 503). The term “sepsis” itself is perfectly recognized by respondents inside the medical community, but is recognized only by 53% of SS and 49% of the P. Thirty % of NS, 83% of SS, and 41% of P did not know the meanings of the word sepsis, while 33% of D, 47% of N, 45% of MS, and 32% of NS incorrectly answered that sepsis means “bacteria in blood”. The mortality of sepsis (28-50%) was correctly answered by 60% of D, 29% of N, 13% of MS, 15% of NS, 8% of SS, and 2% of P. The knowledge of the term itself is insufficient for people outside medical community. The correct knowledge of the definition and pathophysiology of sepsis is insufficient even for people inside the medical community. There is room for improving knowledge about sepsis for lay people and for health care personnel who are not critical care professionals.
