What if the key to controlling inflammation, and even saving lives from sepsis, lies not in the bloodstream, but in the brain? In this episode, Nicole Kupchik talks with Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, President and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, whose groundbreaking work in neuroimmunology and bioelectronic medicine is redefining how we understand the vagus nerve and how it communicates with the immune system to regulate inflammation. From surprising results of sheep studies to the promise of vagus nerve stimulation devices, Dr. Tracey explains how rethinking the body’s electrical signs could transform sepsis care, redefine inflammation, and reveal new frontiers in treatment. We also hear from Kimberly Emanuel, a sepsis survivor who endured the breakdown of her body systems before her remarkable recovery. 

Featured Guests:

Kevin J. Tracey, MD. (X: KevinJTraceyMD) is President & CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and also serves as a Professor of Neurosurgery and Molecular Medicine at the School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Dr. Tracey’s focus is on neuro-immunology and bioelectronic medicine, having researched the neural circuits that regulate immune responses and currently integrating his findings into novel therapies for inflammation. Learn more about his work with neural circuits and the vagus nerve with his new book The Great Nerve. LinkedIN: Kevin J. Tracey, MD.

Key Takeaways:

Inflammation is not just a symptom of sepsis, it’s a process controlled by neural circuits that can be studied and potentially modulated. 

Using devices to stimulate the vagus nerve has shown remarkable results in reducing inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and may hold promise for sepsis treatment.

Redefining sepsis through a neuroimmunology lens may help identify patients at risk earlier and personalize treatment based on neural-immune activity. 

Damage to the vagus nerve, as seen in severe COVID-related sepsis, can worsen inflammation and impair recovery. 

Understanding “sickness behavior” (lethargy, confusion, brain fog) as a neural-immune response could change how clinicians recognize and manage sepsis-related encephalopathy. 

The next era of sepsis care may rely as much on neuroscience as on antibiotics, shifting focus from killing microbes to restoring immune balance.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit Sepsis.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency that happens when your body’s response to an infection damages vital organs and, often, causes death. In other words, it’s your body’s overactive and toxic response to an infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Sepsis can lead to severe sepsis and septic shock. 

Sepsis Alliance is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

When sepsis strikes, the damage doesn’t always end with the infection. Nicole Kupchik is joined by Dr. Mitchell Elkind from the American Heart Association to explore how inflammation during sepsis can overwhelm the cardiovascular system, causing arrhythmias, heart failure, and even stroke. From acute AFib to long-term heart damage and the hidden role of cytokines, we dig into the silent injuries that outlast recovery. Plus, we hear a powerful firsthand story from sepsis survivor Mary Millard, whose cardiac journey illustrates the complex chain reaction that infection can trigger.

Featured Guests:

Mitchell Elkind, MD, MS, FAHA (X: AHAScience), is the American Heart Association’s Chief Clinical Science Officer and serves as the senior staff science leader for all Association initiatives related to stroke, brain health, and new integrated efforts including cardio-renal-metabolic health. 

Key Takeaways:

A startling percentage of sepsis patients experience heart complications, including those with no cardiac history

Sepsis survivors may carry hidden cardiovascular risks for months, or even years, after discharge.

Inflammation and clotting are deeply intertwined, and both can leave permanent marks on the heart and brain.

Sepsis may someday be recognized as a formal cardiovascular risk factor, just like diabetes or hypertension.

Research into statins, GLP-1s, and anti-inflammatory treatments is opening new doors for post-sepsis care.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit Sepsis.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency that happens when your body’s response to an infection damages vital organs and, often, causes death. In other words, it’s your body’s overactive and toxic response to an infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Sepsis can lead to severe sepsis and septic shock. 

Sepsis Alliance is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

Season 2 is just around the corner for The Sepsis Spectrum! In this special bonus episode, Nicole Kupchik reflects on what we learned last season, how cancer can’t keep her away, and what’s next for the pod. Joining Nicole is Grady Health System Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, Barbara McLean. Together, they have an honest, open conversation about sepsis, survivorship, and Season 2 which is all about sepsis and Multi Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS).

Plus, we’re calling for YOUR stories! Share real world cases and lived experiences with MODS to be featured in season two. To submit, visit: www.human-content.com/sepsis
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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

What you don’t track, you can’t fix, and too often, we’re not even looking. Nicole is joined by sepsis survivors Dr. Hilary Spangler and Jackie Duda, along with pediatric ICU nurse-scientist Dr. Mallory Perry-Eaddy, for a raw conversation about what happens after survival. From missed red flags in special populations to long-term trauma and broken feedback loops, this episode is a wake-up call for teams ready to see the full picture of sepsis care.

Featured Guests:

Hillary Spangler, MD (@http://linkedin.com/in/hillary-spangler): Internal medicine physician and health systems innovator focused on hospital quality, sepsis diagnostics, and patient-centered care.

Mallory Perry-Eaddy, PhD, RN, CCRN (@ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallory-perry/): Critical care nurse scientist and sepsis researcher studying ICU survivorship, racial disparities, and long-term recovery.

Jackie Duda, Sepsis Survivor and Advocate (@jackiesjourney4): Sepsis survivor and advocate raising awareness of post-sepsis challenges and the vital role of caregiver voices in healthcare transformation.

Key Takeaways:

Understand why patients living with chronic disease (such as pediatrics, older adults, and the immunocompromised) need tailored approaches for infection prevention, AMR, and sepsis care.

Recognize age- and population-specific pathogens—and why empiric antibiotic decisions carry different risks for different groups.

Learn how antimicrobial stewardship can help protect vulnerable patients long-term by preserving their microbiome and slowing resistance.

Explore how vaccination and proactive prevention strategies can play a frontline role in managing AMR and sepsis—especially in high-risk groups.

Dive into the lasting impacts of AMR and sepsis in specialty populations and how those outcomes shape clinical decisions, recovery, and future risk.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

When crisis hits every layer of care, how do you keep patients feeling human? Nicole is joined by Dr. Mark Mikkelsen and sepsis survivor Katy Grainger for a raw and powerful conversation for a raw and powerful conversation on how sepsis survival is only the beginning of a long and often difficult journey. This episode takes a closer look at the physical, mental, and emotional challenges that many sepsis survivors face after leaving the hospital—struggles that can persist for months or even years. They'll examine current discharge and follow-up practices and envision a more connected, survivor-centered model of post-sepsis care; one that recognizes how AMR and readmission can complicate recovery, and how personalized recovery planning can make all the difference.

Featured Guests:

Mark Mikkelsen, MD, MSCE (@MarkMikkelsenMD): Pulmonary and critical care physician leading national work on sepsis definitions, data science, and care improvement strategies.

Katy Grainger, Sepsis Survivor and Advocate (@Katysepsisamputee): Sepsis survivor and double amputee advocating for prevention, public awareness, and equitable care.

Key Takeaways:

Take a closer look at the physical, mental, and emotional hurdles sepsis survivors often face after hospital discharge.

Understand how antimicrobial resistance can complicate recovery, especially for patients with long-term infections or limited access to follow-up care.

Examine whether today’s discharge and follow-up practices are meeting the long-term needs of survivors or leaving them behind.

Explore what a more connected post-sepsis care model could look like with better communication, structured check-ins, and survivor-centered planning.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

Sometimes what we call prevention is really just harm repackaged. Nicole, Dr. Hudson Garrett, and Armando Nahum dig into the paradoxes of infection control, where well-meaning efforts can produce unseen consequences. They explore the culture of blame, AMR and sepsis awareness pitfalls, and the need to refocus on patient experience. A provocative discussion for infection preventionists and frontline clinicians and leaders alike.

Featured Guests:

Hudson Garrett, PhD, MSN, MPH, FNP-BC, IP-BC, CPPS, AS-BC, VA-BC, NCEE, FACDONA, DICO-C, CFER, FAAPM (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drhudsongarrett/)Infection prevention expert and healthcare epidemiologist focused on policy, implementation science, and safety culture.

Website | X | Facebook

Armando Nahum (https://www.linkedin.com/in/armandonahum/): National patient advocate and health equity leader who transformed personal tragedy into systemic change in hospital-acquired infection prevention, becoming the Co-Founder and President of the Safe Care Campaign https://www.safecarecampaign.org/

Key Takeaways:

Understand how system failures in infection prevention and QI contribute to missed HAIs and hospital-onset sepsis.

Identify safety blind spots like delayed recognition, antibiotic overuse, and communication breakdowns and why they persist.

Explore how antimicrobial stewardship protects not just populations, but individual patients at their most vulnerable.

Learn why real sepsis prevention takes more than protocols; it takes visibility, accountability, and leadership.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

How can we diagnose what we haven’t yet defined? Nicole welcomes Dr. Shamim Nemati and Dr. Gabriel Wardi to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping sepsis detection. They dig into why existing definitions fall short, how data-driven tools can outperform traditional alerts, and where AI could take us next, from smarter antimicrobial stewardship to real-time clinical support. A conversation for anyone rethinking how we recognize and respond to sepsis.

Featured Guests:

Gabriel Wardi, MD, MPH, FACEP ( @WardiGabriel on X): Emergency medicine and critical care physician at UC San Diego focused on improving sepsis pathways, triage systems, and early intervention in acute care.

Shamim Nemati, PhD (@ShamimNemati on X): Biomedical informatics researcher and AI scientist specializing in predictive analytics, machine learning, and sepsis risk modeling in real-time clinical settings.

Key Takeaways:

Clarify how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and traditional decision tools differ and how each is evolving to improve sepsis detection and antimicrobial stewardship.

Explore how cutting-edge AI/ML models are helping close gaps in infection prevention, early sepsis detection, diagnostics, and resistance forecasting.

Learn how these tools are being applied to risk prediction, therapy selection, and alert refinement across hospital workflows.

Walk away with real-world examples and design insights to help improve diagnostic precision and clinical decision support in your own system.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

What if the way we’re trained to recognize sepsis is part of the problem? Nicole sits down with Kathleen Vollman to unpack how clinician education, documentation habits, and broken workflows contribute to missed or delayed sepsis care. They explore why early signs like low temperature and increased respiratory rate are often ignored, how task-based thinking limits critical assessment, and what it takes to teach sepsis recognition that actually works. A must-listen for anyone leading bedside care, clinical education, or system improvement.

Featured Guest:

Kathleen Vollman, MSN, RN, CCNS, FCCM, FAAN (https://x.com/kvollman1, https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-vollman-3894396/): Clinical nurse specialist and educator advancing sepsis recognition, evidence-based nursing, and critical care leadership.

Key Takeaways:

Explain the clinical significance of early recognition of infection and sepsis.

Discuss appropriate initial assessment steps and escalation protocols for suspected sepsis cases.

Interpret common laboratory and diagnostic results to help determine the likely causative pathogen.

Explain the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration among infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and sepsis teams in enhancing early detection, appropriate treatment, and improved outcomes in infectious disease management.

Describe how early recognition of infection and sepsis facilitates timely involvement of the antimicrobial stewardship team, leading to more appropriate antimicrobial selection and duration, thereby reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

Hospital-onset sepsis presents a complex and urgent challenge at the intersection of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and clinical decision-making. Nicole welcomes Dr. Jennifer Ginestra and Dr. Emi Minejima to examine how HAIs contribute to both AMR and the development of sepsis within hospital settings—and why these cases often carry higher risks and worse outcomes. Together they'll explore key insights from recent literature, including the need for clearer definitions, refined metrics, and improved alignment with antimicrobial stewardship efforts. They will also dive into how diagnostic uncertainty, delayed recognition, and treatment hesitations can turn manageable infections into life-threatening events.

Featured Guests:

Jennifer Ginestra, MD, MSHP (@JenGinestraMD): Critical care physician and health systems researcher focused on quality improvement and learning health system design.

Emi Minejima, PharmD, FIDSA: Pharmacy professor and researcher specializing in antimicrobial use, diagnostic stewardship, and pharmacist-led interventions.

Key Takeaways:

Understand how healthcare-associated infections contribute to both antimicrobial resistance and hospital-onset sepsis and why these cases carry unique risks.

Explore key themes from recent literature on hospital-onset sepsis, including the need for clearer definitions, more nuanced metrics, and better alignment with stewardship principles.

Examine how delays in recognition, diagnostics, or response can escalate treatable infections into high-stakes clinical scenarios.

Learn how antimicrobial stewardship intersects with diagnostic uncertainty, timing pressures, and the fear of under-treatment in hospital settings.

Identify system-level barriers and frontline opportunities to better prevent, recognize, and manage HAIs, MDROs, and hospital-onset sepsis across disciplines.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance

Can pre-hospital teams catch sepsis before the hospital even sees it coming? Nicole sits down with EMS thought leader Eric Bauer to break down how tools like capnography, lactate testing, and passive leg raise are transforming early sepsis care. They dig into why respiratory rate matters more than we think, what end-tidal CO₂ can really tell us, and why protocols don’t have to mean tunnel vision. It’s a smart, field-tested look at sepsis, before the IV even starts.

Featured Guest:

Eric Bauer, MBA, FP-C, CCP-C (Twitter @FlightBridgeED): Executive Director of FlightBridgeED and critical care transport educator specializing in prehospital sepsis recognition, evidence-based practice, and advanced clinical training.

Key Takeaways:

Understand how EMS teams use tools like capnography, lactate, and respiratory rate to catch sepsis early, before the patient ever reaches the hospital.

Break down what point-of-care tools can do in those critical first minutes and where they fall short.

Explore the limitations EMS faces in managing antimicrobial resistance and why better communication from facilities matters.

Compare how different EMS systems approach sepsis and why equipment, education, and medical direction make all the difference.

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Get in Touch: [email protected]

Or Visit Us At: SepsisPodcast.org

Connect with Nicole on Socials: @nicolekupchik

Connect with Sepsis Alliance on Socials: @sepsisalliance

To Learn More About Sepsis, Visit EndSuperbugs.org

Produced by: Human Content and Sepsis Alliance