By Tracy Hansen, APRN, FNP
One diagnosis that is sure to make my heart pound is sepsis. Sepsis most always means a very sick patient that requires careful monitoring and antibiotics quickly! September is sepsis awareness month and I would like to take the time to share with you some facts about sepsis and recognition signs and symptoms to keep on your radar. So What is sepsis? · Sepsis is defined as an infection that overwhelms the body’s ability to ward off the offending agent that leads to tissue damage, organ failure, and potentially death. What’s the big deal?-Check out these startling facts! · Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, accounting for a whopping 35% of deaths! · 6,800 U.S. kids die of sepsis each year, more than from pediatric cancers, YIKES! · Sepsis causes at least 261,000 maternal deaths each year worldwide · Sepsis survivors have a shortened life expectancy and are 42% more likely to die by suicide · 80% of sepsis deaths can be prevented with stealth diagnosis and treatment What can I do to recognize this, before it gets serious? · Check out the infographic below. It highlights features that can clue you in that something serious is going on. You think it’s sepsis…. Now what? · Head for the Emergency Department or Call 911. · Murray County Medical Center is ready and experienced to diagnose and treat sepsis quickly. In sepsis we refer to the “golden hour”, In someone that is really sick with an infection and in order to have the best outcomes, we want antibiotic started within the first hour after identifying sepsis. For more information refer to www.Sepsis.org.