NCLEX-RN Sepsis First Hour Cheat Sheet (Free Printable)
Free NCLEX-RN sepsis first hour cheat sheet — printable study guide for nursing students. Every fact verified against authoritative sources.
When a suspected infection shows organ dysfunction - fever, hypotension, oliguria, or confusion - you are screening for sepsis, and the clock starts. Early recognition and treatment are critical because sepsis mortality runs 25-30 percent, and septic shock mortality runs 40-60 percent, with survival depending on the timeliness of appropriate treatment. That mix of urgency and strict sequence is what the NCLEX-RN is testing, so this cheat sheet lays out the first hour as a timeline: do these steps in order, within one hour.
You measure serum lactate immediately and repeat it if it exceeds 2 mmol/L. You draw blood cultures before antibiotics. You start broad-spectrum antibiotics within 60 minutes, because delay worsens outcome. If the patient is hypotensive or the lactate is 4 or higher, you infuse 30 mL/kg of crystalloid. After adequate fluids, you start norepinephrine to keep MAP at 65 mm Hg or above. Within 6-12 hours, you arrange source control, draining or excising the source where the site allows it. Use the sheet that way: practice the order until it is automatic, memorize each threshold, and remember that SIRS criteria lack sensitivity and specificity. Values and timing vary - follow your facility protocol.
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Values and timing vary - follow your facility protocol.
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