Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42063035›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2026

Sepsis policy, guidelines, and standards in Canada: a jurisdictional scoping review.

Fatima Sheikh, Victoria Chechulina, Nick Daneman, Gary Garber, Kathryn Hendrick, Niranjan Kissoon, Osama Loubani, Lawrence Mbuagbaw, Kristine Russell, Jennifer D Walker and 3 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Fatima SheikhDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, David Braley Research Institute, 20 Copeland Ave, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada. sheikf9@mcmaster.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1327-2203
Victoria ChechulinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Nick DanemanDepartment of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Gary GarberSafe Medical Care Research Department, Canadian Medical Protective Association, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Kathryn HendrickSepsis Canada Patient Advisory Council, Hamilton, Canada.
Niranjan KissoonThe Centre for International Child Health, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Osama LoubaniDepartments of Critical Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Lawrence MbuagbawDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, David Braley Research Institute, 20 Copeland Ave, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada.
Kristine RussellUniversity of British Columbia Action on Sepsis Research Excellence Cluster Patient Advisory Council, Vancouver, Canada.
Jennifer D WalkerDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, David Braley Research Institute, 20 Copeland Ave, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada.
Alison Fox-RobichaudDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, David Braley Research Institute, 20 Copeland Ave, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada.
Lisa SchwartzDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, David Braley Research Institute, 20 Copeland Ave, Hamilton, ON, L8L 2X2, Canada.
Kali BarrettDepartment of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSepsis, the body's life-threatening response to infection, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In 2017, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution urging member states to recognize sepsis as a public health priority. Our objective was to identify and describe sepsis policies, guidelines, and health professional training standards in Canada.

methodsWe conducted a scoping review and an environmental scan, including systematic searches of published and grey literature. Policies, guidelines, or training standards related to identifying, managing, or reporting sepsis, published since 2010 and available in English/French, were included. We extracted data on the organization(s) involved in the development, information on the source, including the target patient population, measures of inclusive engagement, and whether the source considered at-risk, equity-denied, and/or Indigenous communities.

resultsWe identified 32 sources of evidence, including sepsis policies or guidelines for 38% (5/13) of provinces and territories, the inclusion of sepsis as a training competency in 16% (11/67) of the Royal College of Canada medical specialties/subspecialties competency standards, and two Canadian Hospital Accreditation Standards. Only 6% (2/32) of the sources considered the role of social determinants of health, and 13% (4/32) engaged individuals with lived sepsis experience or members of the public.

conclusionsWe identified existing sepsis policies, guidelines, and standards that reveal significant gaps across provinces and territories, particularly the lack of attention to social determinants of health and the exclusion of individuals with lived experience. Coordinated national policy efforts are urgently needed to reduce the burden of sepsis in Canada.

Indexed as

Health PolicyPractice Guidelines as TopicSepsisCanadaHumansDisease screeningEarly detectionNational action planPatient engagementSocial determinants of health

Identifiers

PMID42063035
PMCPMC13285382

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.