NJ A2455

Requires all licensed general and special hospitals in New Jersey to adopt, implement, and periodically update evidence-based protocols for early recognition and treatment of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock in both adult and pediatric patients

Mandates protocols include screening processes, patient identification criteria, treatment guidelines with timeframe goals, and procedures for early antibiotic delivery and infection source identification

Requires hospitals to ensure all professional staff with direct patient care responsibilities and relevant indirect care staff (laboratory, pharmacy) receive periodic training on sepsis protocols

Hospitals must submit proposed protocols to the Department of Health for review within 120 days of the act's effective date and may resubmit updated protocols no more than once every two years

Hospitals must collect quality measures for internal improvement, annually report data to the department for developing risk-adjusted sepsis mortality rates, and are subject to department audits