Understanding the Definition of Sepsis-3: The Sepsis Saga Continues

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has thrust Sepsis-3 into the national healthcare conversation with its recent announcement that come Jan. 1, 2019 it use the SEP-3 definition to determine if a diagnosis of sepsis is clinically validated, advising that the Sequential (sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is to be used to determine if sepsis is present.  Although the definition of Sepsis-3 was announced in February 2016, its acceptance has become more widespread as you learn when Dr. Edward Hu addresses this timely subject during this edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays. Dr. Hu is the executive director of Inpatient Physician Advisor Services for the University of North Carolina Health Care System and president of the American College of Physician Advisors.

Other segments to be featured on the broadcast include:

• Coding Report: The fourth-quarter 2018 issue of AHA’s (the American Hospital Association’s) Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS has been released. Gloryanne Bryant reports on its significance.
  
  
• News Desk: Canada is now the second country following Uruguay to legalize the sale and recreational use of marijuana, although medical marijuana has been legal since 2001. Following up on an ICD10monitor exclusive story on medical marijuana on Oct. 9, is Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent.
  
  
• Tuesday Focus: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant for Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC and an ICD10monitor contributor, reports on acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a polio-like condition that mostly affects children. Joining the discussion is also Jennifer P. Rubin, MD, attending physician, Division of Neurology, Assistant professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
  
  
• TalkBack: Talk Ten Tuesday co-host Erica Remer, MD reports on the first of her two-part series on diabetic foot ulcers versus pressure ulcers.