It is #SepsisSurvivor Week [February 10 – 16]
Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. In the United States, sepsis takes a life every two minutes. Fortunately, millions more survive, but almost 60 percent of survivors experience worsened cognitive (mental) and/or physical function.
During this week, we are honoring those who survive sepsis and working to raise awareness of the physical, mental and emotional challenges many of them face. Join us! The National Sepsis Alliance has developed a Sepsis Survivors Toolkit to help honor sepsis survivors and spread awareness of the challenges they face.
- Make sure you have all the facts about sepsis survivors. Download the 2019 Life After Sepsis fact sheet, click here.
- Access this easy to print guide about what to expect after surviving sepsis, click here.
- To learn more and find resources for sepsis survivors, click here.
“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. We are working 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.
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
In a tribute to her fellow survivors, America’s Got Talent finalist Angelica Hale, released a music video for her original song No Time to Waste – a song about hope, survival and resilience that she wrote for Sepsis Heroes 2018.
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.
Source:
- National Sepsis Alliance – www.sepsis.org