Get to know the dangers of sepsis

Sepsis, the body’s overwhelming and toxic response to infection, has found itself in the news lately. Actress Ashely Pak of “Emily in Paris” fame recently described her encounter with sepsis last winter. “What started as tonsillitis spiraled into critical septic shock, which infected and affected several of my organs,” she explained in an Instagram post, as reported by CBS News. Park said she went to three hospitals, spent a week in the intensive care unit and underwent “countless scans and tests and injections, excruciating pain.”

But Pak was one of the lucky sepsis patients, she survived. Sepsis kills more than 11 million people every year globally, and 350,000 adults in the U.S. annually. It killed Muhammad Ali, Jim Henson and Etta James. For those who do survive, approximately one percent of sepsis survivors undergo one or more surgical amputations of a limb or digit as a result of sepsis.

September is Sepsis Awareness Month, and with it there is an increased focus on public education to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis so people know when to seek emergency care.

What is sepsis?
Sepsis, sometimes referred to as blood poisoning, is a life-threatening emergency that happens when your body’s response to an infection damages vital organs such as the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys, and, often causes death.

What causes sepsis?
Most types of microorganisms can cause sepsis, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. However, it may also be caused by infections with seasonal influenza viruses, dengue viruses and highly transmissible pathogens of public health concern; such as avian and swine influenza viruses, Ebola and yellow fever viruses. Sepsis often presents as the clinical deterioration of common and preventable infections such as those of the respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinary tract, or of wounds and skin. Sepsis is frequently under-diagnosed at an early stage–when it still is potentially reversible.

Who can get sepsis?
While sepsis can impact anyone, including the sick, the well, and people of all ages, some groups are more likely to be affected. These include very young children, older adults, and those with a weakened immune system.

What are the symptoms of sepsis?
Sepsis Alliance designed an easy-to-remember acronym for the signs and symptoms of sepsis – TIME. A person with sepsis could have one, all, or a combination of the following symptoms: Temperature, higher or lower than normal; Infection, a patient may have signs and symptoms of infection; Mental decline, being sleepy, confused or difficult to rouse; Extremely ill with severe pain, discomfort and shortness of breath.

Why does TIME matter?
For every hour treatment is delayed, the risk of death increases by 4 percent to 9 percent. As many as 80 percent of sepsis deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment.

This September learn more about sepsis at sepsisawarenessmonth.org.