Georgia hospitals are in need of mandatory sepsis protocols. Sepsis, defined as a systemic inflammatory response to infection, is a life-threatening medical condition that rapidly progresses from severe sepsis (characterized by signs of organ dysfunction) to septic shock.
Sepsis accounts for one of every 23 hospitalizations and affects an average of 4,600 new patients daily. Treatment of sepsis is time-sensitive and patient outcomes depend on early aggressive intervention. Half of all patients admitted for sepsis require admission to an intensive care unit and more than 270,000 patients with sepsis die annually. To put this in perspective, approximately one patient dies every two minutes because of sepsis.
Reducing delays in rapid recognition upon early signs of sepsis and swift, standardized treatment is urgent for our health care system. Improving the medical diagnosis of sepsis through the implementation of rapid treatment protocols and improved communication between families, patients, medical staff in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes is critical to improving outcomes.
Sepsis is the primary cause of death from infection worldwide, with over 18 million cases per year, and represents the most costly condition treated within hospitals in the United States, hitting 20 billion dollars in 2011 alone. Surprisingly, it is patients with less severe sepsis, those not yet in septic shock, who make up the majority of sepsis-related deaths.
Currently, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Indiana have adopted state-mandated protocols for sepsis. Each state requires every hospital to adopt evidence-based protocols to improve the rapid diagnosis and treatment of sepsis and reduce misdiagnoses and medical errors. With these state-mandated protocols, countless lives can be saved each year.
Indiana’s Governor Holcomb signed mandatory sepsis protocols into law on April 29, 2019. Kentucky is also very close to signing state-mandated sepsis protocols into law.
Iowa also introduced Adams Law in its 2020 legislative session. Adam was 36 when he died, and you can read his story here: https://www.sepsis.org/faces/adam-kidd.
We need all states to follow, including Georgia. In each case, these protocols have been the result of grassroots efforts spearheaded by individuals who feel personally invested in preventing needless deaths from sepsis. Help us make our state #SepsisSafe by introducing mandatory sepsis protocols in all hospitals, nursing homes, and critical care facilities.
Click HERE to find out how you can help #MakeGeorgiaSepsisSafe!
“Only 10 to 30 percent of patients with sepsis receive excellent care. Saving lives depends not just on treatments specific to a particular infection, but rather a focus on early recognition and awareness of sepsis, rapid therapy, resuscitation, and vital organ support. In short, sepsis is a medical emergency and each hour matters.”
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