Sepsis can be difficult for providers to diagnose and treat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and patients who develop sepsis have increased risk of death or other complications. Additionally, it is the most expensive cause of hospitalization in the nation, accounting for more than $24 billion annually.
Many organizations and researchers are working to raise awareness, ease diagnosis and improve treatment of sepsis. Here are a dozen stories and studies on sepsis that have been covered by Becker's Hospital Review in the past four months, beginning with the most recent.
1. Implementing an electronic medical record surveillance tool can help improve clinical outcomes related to sepsis, a study found.
2. The Rory Staunton Foundation and Manhasset, N.Y.-based North Shore-LIJ Health System are hosting a national forum on sepsis in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17.
3. Prolonged episodes of sepsis can lead to the reactivation of viruses that were dormant in patients, suggesting that the immune system is suppressed. Therefore, sepsis patients may benefit from immunotherapy drugs incorporated into their treatment, researchers found.
4. The CDC launched a new sepsis website to increase awareness and improve early recognition, diagnosis and treatment of the complication.
5. Sepsis contributes to up to half of all hospital deaths in the United States, even though it is only found in a tenth of all admitted patients, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society's annual conference.
6. Sepsis patients who develop hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infections experience increased mortality, lengths of stay and costs, according to a study in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
7. Preoperative sepsis is directly correlated to postoperative arterial and venous thrombosis risk, according to an Oncology Practice report.
8. Researchers identified three bacteria present in the gut of neonates that may be linked to late-onset sepsis in premature babies.
9. A study examining the efficacy of three different sepsis treatments found no significant differences in survival rate based on the treatment received and no significant advantage to protocol-based care over physician-led care.
10. Thirty-eight percent of patients with sepsis receive inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, researchers found.
11. Loma Linda (Calif.) University, San Diego-based Sepsis Alliance and sepsis survivor Kim Pickinpaugh received funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to establish the "Sepsis Survivors Engagement Project," an initiative focused on building a community around and encouraging research regarding sepsis.
12. An algorithm designed by security and aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin was used to successfully provide early detection of sepsis cases in an initial trial at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.