What you should know:
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection. Sepsis usually starts with an ordinary infection like pneumonia or a urinary tract infection. Germs can invade the body via the gums or teeth, lungs, urinary tract, abdomen or even through a mild skin infection or wound.
Sepsis kills more people than breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer combined, according to research released by The Ohio State University Medical Center. Sepsis is a leading preventable cause of deaths in hospitals.
Sepsis seems to be increasing, especially in hospitals. Today, hospital patients are frequently very sick, as so many healthier patients are treated as outpatients or released quickly. Hospitalized patients are often the elderly or people with very fragile immune systems.
Experts also think the widespread use of antibiotics has encouraged the growth of drug-resistant germs, or “superbugs”. Some life-saving treatments might also accidentally expose patients to germs.
With sepsis, harmful germs reach the bloodstream. The body’s immune system works extra hard to fight the germs — so hard that other body functions might become abnormal. Inflammation occurs that can make breathing, the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and the white blood cell count abnormal.
A culture of body fluids can help confirm sepsis. Other common signs are weakness, high fever, fast heartbeat and fast, short breaths. However, a low body temperature might be common among the very young and very old.
The prompt discovery of sepsis is critical. Sepsis can spiral out of control very quickly. Cells in organs can become starved of oxygen and become permanently damaged. Patients can also go into septic shock. Even healthy people can die from it. As many as one-third of people who contract sepsis die from it. With septic shock, mortality is as high as 50 percent.
Sepsis is normally treated in hospital intensive care units. A “bundle” of well-established, proven actions is started immediately. Antibiotics and fluids may be given intravenously to attack sepsis infections very aggressively. Patients might need respirators for breathing and dialysis to support kidney function.
Payers such as Medicare and Medicaid are beginning to restructure their payment systems to encourage hospitals and doctors to use the most effective ways to treat severely ill patients, such as those with sepsis. Payers are also encouraging improved processes to prevent infections. Monitoring of basics like frequent handwashing and equipment sterilization is now widespread. Common-sense approaches now include regular screening of ICU patients. Many experts think that as sepsis cases fall, costs will also decline.
Some people do not think about the risk of sepsis from a procedure or injury. Sepsis might go unnoticed in its early stage when it might be reversible.
As the elderly population grows, researchers expect more sepsis cases. Sepsis mortality among the uninsured is also more common than among patients with Medicare and private insurance.
What you should do:
Everyone is at risk of sepsis. Clean injuries promptly. Don’t delay caring for an infection or tooth abscess.
If you plan an outpatient or dental procedure, be sure that you get information about possible complications. You want to watch for potential inflammation and infections. If you are given an antibiotic to prevent infections, take it, even if your feel fine. Know how to reach your doctor after normal business hours if you have inflammation or a fever.
If you are hospitalized, expect all who touch you to wash their hands first. Ask a friend or family member to look out for you in the hospital. Share the list of medicines and herbs you take and ones you plan to take at home. Learn about your hospital medicines and about drugs prescribed for use after your discharge from the hospital.
Look for hospital ratings that show low infection rates and board-certified specialists in key areas such as the ICU.
Don’t try to get out of bed alone with an IV or other hospital equipment. Also, get help to move in bed to prevent bedsores or disrupting an IV line or breathing tube.
If your doctor or care provider is different from your hospital doctor, let him or her know that you are going to be in the hospital. Give your hospital doctor the name of your regular physician. You might need to provide written permission for them to share information. Good communication among providers is an important safety precaution.
Avoid infections at home. Wash your hands thoroughly in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Don’t share personal items. Cold, flu and pneumonia patients should not mix with and share items with others. Throw out old toothbrushes after a strep throat to avoid re-infection. Follow instructions on how to care for a surgical wound to prevent infections.
Don’t take unneeded antibiotics. Unneeded use harms everyone. Don’t take another person’s antibiotics or antivirals.
When antibiotics are needed, take them exactly as prescribed. Don’t skip doses. Don’t save them for later use.
For more information
Go to:
medlineplus/sepsis
cdc.gov/nchs/data/ databriefs/db62.pdf
Search “sepsis” at www.myicucare.org.
Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: www.healthymemphis.org. This article supports the care and advice of your doctor.
No comments:
Post a Comment