Author: John Wright

World Sepsis Day Quiz
1. What is sepsis?
A congenital disease
Organ damage produced by the body’s response to infection
A blood infection
Blood poisoning

World Sepsis Day Quiz
2. Sepsis is ...
A chronic disease
An emergency condition
A public health burden
B and C

World Sepsis Day Quiz
3. Which of the following is a sepsis warning sign?
Fever or chills
Urinating very little for the day
Shortness of breath
All of the above

World Sepsis Day Quiz
4. What infections can cause sepsis
Meningitis
Pneumonia
Urinary infections
All of the above

2
D. b) and c) are correct
The correct answer is D. Sepsis is both a medical emergency as well as a public health burden, affecting more than 47 million people worldwide, killing at least 11 million of them every year.

1
B. Organ damage produced by the body’s response to infection
The correct answer is B.
Sepsis arises when the body's response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It may lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death - especially if not recognized early and treated promptly. Sepsis is the final common pathway to death from most infectious diseases worldwide, including viral infections such as COVID-19.

4
d) All of the above
The correct answer is d).
Sepsis can be caused by all infections, including meningitis, pneumonia, urinary infections, COVID-19, seasonal influenza viruses, dengue viruses, and highly transmissible pathogens of public health concern; such as avian and swine influenza viruses, Ebola, and yellow fever viruses.

3
d) All of the above
The correct answer is d).
The following symptoms might indicate sepsis:
Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever
Passing no urine all day
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you're going to die
Skin mottled or discoloured

World Sepsis Day Quiz
5. What germs can cause sepsis?
Bacteria
Fungi
Viruses
All of the above

World Sepsis Day Quiz
6. What percentage of sepsis cases are acquired outside the hospital?
10%
20%
30%
80%

World Sepsis Day Quiz
7. Who are the most vulnerable to sepsis?
Children under 5
Elderly persons
People with chronic diseases and weakened immune systems
All of the above

World Sepsis Day Quiz
8. How many case of sepsis occur around the world per year?
1 to 5 million
5 to 10 million
20 to 25 million
45 to 50 million

6
D. 80%
The correct answer is D. Often wrongly thought of as a "hospital-disease", about 80% of sepsis cases are actually contracted in the community.

5
D. All of the above
The correct answer is D. Most types of microorganisms can cause sepsis, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Sepsis often presents as the clinical deterioration of common and preventable infections such as those of the respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinary tract, or of wounds and skin. Sepsis is frequently under-diagnosed at an early stage - when it still is potentially reversible.

8
D. 45 to 50 million
The correct answer is D. In 2020, an international team of scientists published the most comprehensive clinical study on sepsis to date - revealing between 45 and 50 million of cases per year. Full study: worldsepsisday.org/gbdstudy

7
D. All of the above
The correct answer is D. Everybody can get sepsis, no matter how healthy or how good in shape you are, or where you live. Certain people are at an even higher risk. Those include:
Children under 5
Adults over 60
People with no spleen
People with chronic diseases, e.g. lung, liver, heart
People with weakened immune systems, e.g. AIDS, Diabetes

World Sepsis Day Quiz
9. How many deaths does sepsis cause worldwide each year?
1 to 2 million
3 to 4 million
5 to 6 million
10-11 million

World Sepsis Day Quiz
10. Which of these are consequences of sepsis?
Neurological disorders
Loss of limbs
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
All of the above

World Sepsis Day Quiz
11. How can sepsis be prevented?
Vaccination
Hand hygiene
Timely access to health care
All of the above

World Sepsis Day Quiz
12. How is sepsis treated?
With timely identification
With antibiotics
With fluids and other life support therapies
All of the above

10
D. All of the above
The correct answer is D. Sepsis does not end at hospital discharge. Many sepsis survivors suffer from the consequences of sepsis for the rest of their lives. These can include: -
Sadness
Difficulty swallowing
Muscle weakness
Clouded thinking
Difficulty sleeping
Poor Memory
Difficulty Concentrating
Fatigue
Anxiety

12
D. All of the above
The correct answer is D. Once in a hospital, a trained physician will usually take the following steps, known as the Sepsis Bundle:
Give oxygen to keep blood oxygen levels normal (SpO2 94-98%)
Take blood cultures x2
Give IV antibiotics
Start IV fluid resuscitation
Check lactate
Monitor hourly urine output accurately

9
D. 11 million
The correct answer is D. The same study (worldsepsisday.org/gbdstudy) found at least 11 million people die of sepsis every year, meaning 20% of all global deaths can be linked to sepsis.

11
D. All of the above
The correct answer is D. Sepsis is the number one cause of preventable death worldwide. The best way to prevent sepsis is to prevent infection in the first place, which can be done by:
Vaccination
Clean water
Hand hygiene
Prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)
Safe childbirth
Awareness

World Sepsis Day Quiz
13. Pregnant women cannot have sepsis?
True
False

World Sepsis Day Quiz
14. What is the benchmark for commencing the Sepsis Bundle?
15 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
4 hours

World Sepsis Day Quiz
15. In which patients with non-infectious inflammation should antimicrobial prophylaxis be used?
In all patients with systemic inflammatory response
Only in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis
Only in patients with burns
In no patient with non-infectious inflammatory disease

World Sepsis Day Quiz
16. The after-effects of sepsis can require long rehabilitation and recovery?
True
False

14
B. 1 hour
The 6 components of the Sepsis Bundle should be commenced within 1 hour of sepsis being detected. Delays increase the amount of end-organ damage, leading to worsened outcomes.

13
B. False
The correct answer is B. Unfortunately, pregnancy does not protect from sepsis. Pregnant women can have sepsis. In fact, maternal sepsis is one of the most common forms of sepsis and a major cause of illness and death worldwide, particularly in resource-poor settings.

16
A. True
The correct answer is A. The statement is true. The after-effects of sepsis (often referred to as post-sepsis syndrome) can require lengthy rehabilitation and recovery.

15
D. In no patient with non-infectious inflammatory disease
The correct answer is D. The 2016 SSC guidelines recommend against the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients with severe inflammatory states of non-infectious origin.
Rhodes A et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock: 2016. Crit Care Med 2017; 45 (3): 497

World Sepsis Day Quiz
17. When should the de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy be evaluated?
When the results of Gram stain tests are available
When the results of microbiological cultures are available
Daily
Whenever kidney function changes

World Sepsis Day Quiz
18. What is the only justifiable physiological reason for giving a fluid bolus to a patient with sepsis?
To increase urinary output
To increase stroke volume
To improve mean arterial pressure
To decrease extravascular pulmonary water

World Sepsis Day Quiz
19. What is the recommended time between detection of a surgical site infection and surgical resolution?
No need for resolution, close observation sufficient
6 to 12 hours
12 to 24 hours
24 to 48 hours

World Sepsis Day Quiz
20. What are the components of the TIME mnemonic?
T =
I =
M =
E =

18
B. To increase stroke volume
The correct answer is B. The only proper physiological reason to resuscitate a patient with fluids (i.e.: give a fluid bolus) is to generate a significant increase in stroke volume.
P. Marik and R. Bellomo. A rational approach to fluid therapy in sepsis. British Journal of Anesthesia, 116 (3): 339-49 (2016).

17
C. Daily
The correct answer is C. The SSC guidelines recommend the daily evaluation of antimicrobial therapy de-escalation, graded as "good practice".
Rhodes A et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock: 2016. Crit Care Med 2017; 45 (3): 501

20
T - Think about possible triggers
I - Investigate and intervene to correct underlying causes
M - Manage, initiate treatment of ALL underlying causes
E - Explain, document the diagnosis, explain delirium to the patient and family/carers

19
B. 6 to 12 hours
The correct answer is B. The SSC guidelines suggest that control of the sepsis "focus" take place no more than 6 to 12 hours after the identification in most cases.
Rhodes A et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock: 2016. Crit Care Med 2017; 45 (3): 502