Stop Sepsis and Save Lives, in Healthcare Global

NORWICH, ENGLAND, June 14, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), an organisation that was set up in 2010 with the aim of uniting healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations in the global fight against sepsis, has recently launched a new initiative which aims to make people aware of the condition, its symptoms and the impact it can have on communities.

"Sepsis is one of the most pressing healthcare challenges faced by the world today," the GSA says. "It is the most common, least recognised illness in both the developed and developing world."

Every day, it is responsible for approximately 10,000 deaths, but it is often misunderstood as being 'blood-poisoning'.

The consequences of sepsis are devastating, not just in an emotional sense but in an economic one too, and the GSA believes the key to tackling sepsis is to increase people's awareness of the disease.

"Sepsis can be prevented," comments Professor Reinhart, the GSA's Director and Chairman. "In the developing world it can be prevented by having better sanitation and hygiene processes, improved nutrition, clean water and promoting vaccinations in children.

"But the main way it can be prevented is if it is recognised early and the patient receives adequate measures of treatment. Treatments, like antimicrobials and intravenous fluids must be initiated when the first signs of organ dysfunction appear. If they are given in the first few hours the survival rate may be up to 80 percent, but studies suggest with each hour of delay the mortality rate increases by five to eight percent."

Sepsis arises when the body's immune system responds to an infection too severely and damages vital organs and tissues. Such a reaction can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and in many cases, death.

You can read more about this story and others at www.healthcareglobal.com or by flicking through the Healthcare Global digital magazine.

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