Sepsis: The Little Known Common Killer

January 8, 2013 | Crandall & Pera Law
Sepsis: The Little Known Common Killer

New York health officials are poised to make their state the first in the nation to require that hospitals aggressively look for sepsis in patients so treatment can begin sooner, according to The New York Times.

Sepsis, an abnormal and self-destructive immune response to infection or illness, often progresses from a high pulse rate and fever to severely low blood pressure, shock and organ failure.

With early warning signs that are difficult to tell apart from the flu or cold, clinicians routinely do not suspect this leading cause of death in hospitals until it is too late.

"It's the most common killer in intensive care units," said Dr. Mitchell M. Levy, a professor at Brown University School of Medicine. "It kills more people than breast cancer, lung cancer and stroke combined."

If physicians and nurses were trained to watch for sepsis, as they now routinely do for heart attacks, the response can be handled before it gets out of control. If started early enough, the treatment, which includes antibiotics and fluids, can reduce the "relative risk mortality [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][of sepsis] by 40 percent." Read the full details here:

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Steve Crandall, a top-rated medical malpractice attorney throughout Ohio and Kentucky, believes major change is needed to prevent the thousands that needlessly die from sepsis each year.

"Many physicians ignore well known signs, symptoms and lab values which warn of sepsis during a time when it can be treated," said Crandall.

If you or someone you know was injured from medical malpractice, contact Crandall & Pera Law for a free consultation.
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