September is Sepsis Awareness Month. Because approximately 87 percent of sepsis cases begin in the community, All people – mothers, kids, grandparents, healthcare professionals in every area of medicine and organizations big and small are tapped to help us save lives by raising awareness of the leading cause of deaths in U.S. hospitals – SEPSIS.¹
Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. Over 1.7 million cases of sepsis occur each year in the United States; half of the patients who get sepsis will die.¹
“Sepsis can occur with any infection, so it is important for consumers and healthcare providers to take steps to prevent infections, practice good hygiene habits, know the symptoms of sepsis, and act quickly if sepsis is suspected. Throughout September, we hope to heighten the awareness that just like heart attack and stroke, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires early recognition and urgent treatment to save lives and reduce the risk for devastating effects such as amputations.” Krystal Hays, DNP, RN, RAC-CT, Quality Improvement Advisor with the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network.
We will be sharing sepsis related information throughout the month of September. For starters, be sure to access the National Sepsis Alliance Toolkit for an abundance of promotional and educational materials. Also, below are additional links for patient and clinician educational resources to plan and coordinate activities related to sepsis care and prevention:
- National Sepsis Alliance
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Sepsis
- CDC’s Get Ahead of Sepsis Campaign
- CDC Vital Signs: How Three States Tackled Sepsis
And don’t miss the 2nd World Sepsis Congress, hosted by the Global Sepsis Alliance. The Congress will be held on September 5-6, 2018 – free of charge and completely online, so you can participate from wherever you have an internet connection. Over the course of 17 sessions, more than 100 speakers from 30 countries will discuss all aspects of sepsis and its wide-ranging consequences. Access the World Sepsis Congress site to get all the details, including the agenda, speakers and registration information.
The Great Plains QIN team offers evidence-based tools, resources, training and subject matter experts to help raise awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. We believe improvements can be made in early recognition and treatment of sepsis to reduce the progression from sepsis to severe sepsis and septic shock that may result in death. Visit our Web site to learn more.
- National Sepsis Alliance – www.sepsis.org