Update 2025 of the S3 guidelines: “Sepsis—Prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care”: What is new?

Abstract

The update of the S3 guidelines “Sepsis—Prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care” was published on 25 July 2025. The new guidelines address 29 new and 16 revised recommendations, with 43 recommendations remaining unchanged from the previous version. The 2025 update is a targeted adaptation of the internationally recognized recommendations of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign from 2021. The focus is on early individualized and evidence-based treatment, the integration of structured follow-up care after hospital discharge and a stronger focus on patient-centered comprehensive care beyond acute treatment. Despite advances in early detection, antibiotic treatment and intensive medical care of patients, sepsis and septic shock remain potentially life-threatening conditions, underlining the necessity for early diagnosis and the initiation of appropriate treatment.