How can I locate recent original research articles on sepsis?

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Last updated: February 27, 2026 • View editorial policy

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How to Locate Recent Original Research Articles on Sepsis

Use PubMed as your primary database, searching from 2010 onwards with the MeSH terms "sepsis," "septic shock," and "bacteremia" combined with filters for "original research" and "clinical trials" to capture the most relevant recent studies. 1

Recommended Database Search Strategy

Primary Databases

  • PubMed/MEDLINE: Your first-line resource for sepsis research, offering comprehensive coverage of biomedical literature with advanced filtering options 1, 2
  • Embase: Provides broader European and pharmaceutical literature coverage, particularly useful for drug-related sepsis studies 1
  • Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL): Essential for identifying randomized controlled trials in sepsis management 1
  • Web of Science: Useful for citation tracking and identifying highly-cited sepsis papers 1

Regional Databases for Global Perspective

  • LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature): Critical for sepsis research from middle-income countries where burden is highest 1
  • African Index Medicus and African Journals Online: Essential given that 90% of worldwide infection deaths occur in less developed countries 3
  • IMSEAR (Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region): Important since approximately 70% of neonatal sepsis deaths occur in Asia 3
  • IMEMR (Index Medicus for Eastern Mediterranean Region) 1
  • WPRIM (Western Pacific Region Index Medicus) 1

Specific Search Terms to Use

Core Search Terms

Combine these using Boolean operators (AND/OR):

  • "Sepsis" OR "Septic shock" OR "Septicemia" OR "Bacteremia" 1, 4
  • "Severe sepsis" OR "Sepsis syndrome" 1
  • "Neonatal sepsis" OR "Maternal sepsis" (if relevant to your focus) 1

Methodology-Specific Terms

Add these to identify original research:

  • "Randomized controlled trial" OR "Clinical trial" 1
  • "Prospective study" OR "Cohort study" 1
  • "Meta-analysis" OR "Systematic review" (for synthesized evidence) 1, 2

Topic-Specific Modifiers

  • For diagnosis: "Biomarkers" OR "Procalcitonin" OR "C-reactive protein" 4, 2, 5
  • For treatment: "Antimicrobial therapy" OR "Vasopressors" OR "Fluid resuscitation" 1, 6
  • For outcomes: "Mortality" OR "Organ dysfunction" OR "Septic shock" 1, 3, 7

Time Frame Recommendations

Limit your search to 2010-present to ensure data reflects current epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance patterns 1. This cutoff is particularly important because:

  • Sepsis definitions evolved significantly with Sepsis-3 in 2016 1, 8
  • Antimicrobial resistance patterns change rapidly, making older data potentially misleading 1
  • Treatment guidelines have been revised multiple times (2004,2008,2013,2016,2021) 8

Quality Filters to Apply

Study Design Hierarchy

Prioritize in this order:

  1. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from the past 3 years 2, 7
  2. Large multicenter randomized controlled trials (>300 participants) 2
  3. Prospective cohort studies with adequate sample size 1
  4. Exclude case reports or series with <10 patients 1

Journal Quality Indicators

Focus on high-impact journals:

  • Critical Care Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine: Core sepsis journals 1, 7
  • JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine: High-quality clinical trials 1
  • Nature Reviews Disease Primers: Comprehensive reviews 1
  • PLoS Medicine: Open-access quality research 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Search Strategy Errors

  • Don't rely solely on title/abstract searches: Use MeSH terms and subject headings to capture all relevant articles 1
  • Don't ignore grey literature: Check ClinicalTrials.gov for ongoing or unpublished trials 1
  • Don't overlook regional databases: 90% of infection deaths occur in less developed countries, but their research may not appear in Western databases 3

Study Selection Errors

  • Don't include studies with aggregated data where sepsis patients cannot be distinguished from other populations 1
  • Don't accept studies reporting non-sterile site infections as these don't meet sepsis criteria 1
  • Don't ignore the study setting: Hospital-acquired sepsis represents 23.6% of all sepsis cases and has different epidemiology than community-acquired 7

Practical Search Algorithm

Step 1: Initial Broad Search

Run this PubMed search:

("Sepsis"[Mesh] OR "Shock, Septic"[Mesh]) AND ("2010/01/01"[PDAT] : "2025/12/31"[PDAT]) AND (Clinical Trial[ptyp] OR Randomized Controlled Trial[ptyp] OR Meta-Analysis[ptyp])

1, 2

Step 2: Refine by Topic

Add specific terms based on your interest:

  • For epidemiology: AND "epidemiology"[Subheading] 3, 7
  • For biomarkers: AND ("Biomarkers"[Mesh] OR "Procalcitonin"[Mesh]) 4, 2, 5
  • For treatment: AND ("Anti-Bacterial Agents"[Mesh] OR "Fluid Therapy"[Mesh]) 6

Step 3: Screen Results

  • Review titles first, excluding clearly irrelevant studies 1
  • Read abstracts of remaining articles to assess eligibility 1
  • Retrieve full text for final inclusion decisions 1

Step 4: Snowball Method

  • Check reference lists of included systematic reviews for additional studies 1
  • Use citation tracking in Web of Science to find newer papers citing key articles 1

Additional Resources

Clinical Trial Registries

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Search for "sepsis" to find ongoing trials and unpublished results 1
  • WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform: Captures trials from multiple countries 1

Grey Literature Sources

  • Google Scholar: Use for conference abstracts and preprints, but verify quality 1
  • OpenGrey: European grey literature database 1

Guideline Sources

  • Surviving Sepsis Campaign: Latest evidence-based guidelines (most recent 2021) 6, 8
  • WHO Essential Medicines List: For antimicrobial recommendations in resource-limited settings 1

Expected Yield

Based on recent systematic reviews, you should expect:

  • 5,000-13,000 initial hits for broad sepsis searches from 2010-present 1, 2
  • 50-300 relevant original research articles after applying quality filters and exclusion criteria 1
  • 258 different biomarkers have been studied, though most in fewer than 5 studies 2
  • Approximately 80% of studies will be from high-income countries despite higher burden in LMICs 1, 3

References

1
Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

2
Research

Biomarkers of sepsis: time for a reappraisal.

Critical care (London, England), 2020

3
Guideline

Sepsis Epidemiology and Global Health Burden

Praxis Medical Insights: Practical Summaries of Clinical Guidelines, 2025

5
Research

An Update on Sepsis Biomarkers.

Infection & chemotherapy, 2020

6
Guideline

Sepsis Management Guidelines

Praxis Medical Insights: Practical Summaries of Clinical Guidelines, 2026

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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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