I had never heard of this before, evidently very serious.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health/research/05awareness.html
Awareness: Killer of 200,000 Americans, Hardly Noticed
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: October 4, 2010
Sepsis causes more than 200,000 deaths in the United States each year, yet Americans know little about it: most people questioned online for a new study said they had never heard the term.
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The illness develops when the immune system’s response to an infection spins out of control, causing severe injury to other organs in the body. Early symptoms may include chills, confusion, abnormal body temperature, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure and rash; a quick diagnosis is critical to preventing deaths.
The new study, of 1,000 Americans 18 and older questioned in late August and early September, found that 3 out of 5 were not familiar with the term. Among older adults, who are at higher risk, the percentage was even higher.
The study, commissioned by the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, part of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, was carried out by APCO Insight, an international research firm, and released last week.
Raising awareness is critical to reducing the number of sepsis deaths, said Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, the institute’s president. People should be able to identify the very early signs of the illness, just as they have learned to be vigilant for symptoms of a heart attack.
“If someone has an infection on the arm or leg, and then develops a fever, or starts to feel sick all over,” he said, “someone should say, ‘I’m concerned about sepsis.’ ”
A version of this article appeared in print on October 5, 2010, on page D6 of the New York edition.
I was made aware of sepsis when my Mom passed on. Now, everyone is afraid of MRSA.
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