HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. — Hawkins County EMS has adopted a new protocol allowing responders to treat sepsis with Zosyn on-scene before hospital arrival.
Under the updated guidelines, EMS crews can administer Zosyn to patients showing signs of sepsis, Captain Samuel McMurry, the agency’s training coordinator, told the Johnson City Press.
According to McMurry, sepsis cases in Hawkins County last year were an estimated one-fourth of EMS calls.
“We determined that Zosyn would be the best antibiotic to go with, just for the simple fact it’s a broad-spectrum antibiotic,” McMurry said.
Hawkins County EMS is now the first emergency service in the region to implement this new protocol, the Johnson City Press reports. While similar protocols have been in place in parts of Middle Tennessee and North Carolina for about five years, McMurry said delays in coordination between the hospital and EMS likely slowed local adoption. He took the lead in navigating those logistics to get the protocol approved.
McMurry collaborated with Ballad Health and Hawkins County EMS Medical Director Dr. George Testerman to develop criteria for identifying sepsis and selecting an appropriate antibiotic. They chose Zosyn, with the main concern being potential allergic reactions in patients with penicillin allergies, according to the Johnson City Press. McMurry noted that in most cases, family members are aware of such allergies, but he urged individuals to use medical ID features on their phones or wear a medical alert bracelet.
Under the new protocol, Zosyn cannot be administered if the patient is allergic to penicillin or if a blood culture hasn’t been drawn. McMurry emphasized that collecting a blood culture beforehand is essential for hospitals to accurately identify the infection-causing pathogen.
