AIM: The aim was to determine the sensitivity of the new symptom based index test Altered Signs and Symptoms Emerge Sudden in Sepsis (ASSESS) in order to identify sepsis and compare it with four established index tests in the prehospital care.

METHOD: This is a quantitative study were the researchers collected data from medical records, and tested whether a new symptom based index test ASSESS was significantly better to identify sepsis compared to Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System (RETTS-ESS 47), BAS 90-30-90, Quick Sequential [Sepsis-related] (qSOFA) and The prehospital severe sepsis screening tool (PSSST). According to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD-concept), a retrospective diagnostic accuracy and cohort study was conducted. The participants were 380 consecutive adult patients (age >18 years) who activated the Prehospital care-system and were transported to Skaraborgs County Hospital in west of Sweden , and subsequently discharged with an ICD-10-code consistent with sepsis, during a three-month period between January through April, 2012.

RESULTS: Of 380 patients 180 (47%) were female and 200 (53%) were male and with a mean age of 74±15 years. The ASSESS had a higher sensitivity to all four established index tests. Of the included symptoms in ASSESS the most common were sudden fever (63,9%), sudden breathing difficulties (60%), sudden muscle weakness (23,9%) and sudden gastrointestinal symptoms (20,2%).

CONCLUSION: ASSESS showed a higher sensitivity compared to the other four index test, which could in turn enable an earlier identification of sepsis patients in the prehospital care. Symptom presentation is included in the ASSESS index test as compared to the other four index tests which focus in major on vital signs alone. An inclusion of symptom presentation in a prehospital screening tool may thus increase the identification of sepsis. However, evidence on clinical benefit of the ASSESS index test need to be prospectively validated.