Sepsis is defined as a systemic, overwhelming infection caused by bloodborne organisms and/or their toxins.  Sepsis is a major health concern, being the leading cause of death in noncoronary intensive care units and the 11^th cause of death overall in the United States.  Until recently, there has been little improvement in mortality rates secondary to sepsis despite broad research on the topic.  Recent advances in the treatment of sepsis have shown promise in improving mortality, the most promising being the introduction of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) for the treatment of severe sepsis (sepsis associated with organ dysfunction, hypoperfusion, and hypotension) and septic shock (sepsis with hypotension despite adequate fluid resuscitation).  Drs. Peter Pang and Michael Schmidt have implemented an EGDT protocol for the management of patients presenting to Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department in severe sepsis and/or septic shock.  By studying those patients enrolled in this standard of care quality initiative, they look to add to the general knowledge of the treatment of the septic patient, specifically looking at the clinical and demographic characteristics of this patient population, the educational model used to implement and maintain an EGDT protocol, the consumption of healthcare resources by this patient population, the prevalence and outcome of procedures used for hemodynamic monitoring, and the analysis of particular treatment measures used for treatment of the septic patient.