Increasing awareness of sepsis

Sepsis is a medical emergency, and should be treated as such. Immediate, intensive care is often needed in sepsis patients, and having the knowledge and tools to handle such a case is critical. It is our mission to increase awareness of sepsis, including the prevention and treatment of the disease, so that we can help ensure that future sepsis patients are treated effectively and successfully.

We are grateful that there are a number of organizations who are dedicated to raising awareness for this disease. For example, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign has created an international initiative to raise awareness of sepsis, which includes improving diagnosis, using appropriate treatment and educating healthcare professionals. Education is key. With early intervention and treatment, sepsis can be treated and patient lives can be saved.

Every September healthcare professionals celebrate Sepsis Awareness Month, a month of activities and educational opportunities targeted at raising awareness. The month was created by the Sepsis Alliance and was designed to encourage people to get more involved in raising awareness of sepsis. In addition, World Sepsis Day on Sept. 13 brings together healthcare professionals and people from around the world to recognize sepsis as a global health issue.

More About Sepsis

Unfortunately, sepsis is still a relatively unknown bodily response, and many people are unsure of what it actually is. Doctors often have patients or family members, and in some cases colleagues, who do not fully understand sepsis, and therefore do not fully understand the implications of having sepsis. This signals the need for more awareness, not only of the fact that it exists, but that there are preventative measures and treatments that patients should take.

Sepsis kills more people annually than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and HIV/AIDS combined but public awareness is still dangerously low. This fact remains, unfortunately, because those patients who become septic maybe physical unable to share their stories, and they sometimes die quickly, whereas those people who are living with cancer or HIV/AIDS may have more of an opportunity to tell their story and raise awareness. Those patients who do survive sepsis are often so grateful to have survived that they do not want to relive their traumatic experiences by telling their story over and over again.

In addition to the lack of patient stories being shared, sepsis awareness may be low because it is particularly difficult to define sepsis. While we know it occurs when your body starts to fight itself instead of germs, sepsis can start in a number of places in the body and can be caused by a number of infections.

It is critical that society as a whole understands sepsis and the risks it poses to all patients, especially those who are very young, very old or have compromised immune systems. Together, we can share our stories and connect with others to spread the word.