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CDC observes Sepsis Awareness Month
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The CDC is recognizing September as Sepsis Awareness Month, and Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, is serving as the ambassador for World Sepsis Day on Sept. 13.
Sepsis is a life-threatening response in patients with infections, including those with nosocomial infections. It affects more than 1 million Americans each year and kills nearly half of the patients, but recent data suggested that fewer than half of Americans have even heard of sepsis, according to the CDC.
Thomas Frieden
“As a doctor, I have treated patients with sepsis and have seen firsthand the devastation it brings to patients and families,” Frieden said in a press release. “We have a long way to go to educate clinicians and inform the public about this all-too-common illness.”
The number of cases each year has been increasing. The people at highest risk for sepsis are those with weakened immune systems, infants and children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses and patients with severe burns or physical trauma. Patients who survive sepsis are at increased risk for complications and death, and they face higher health care costs and longer treatment.
Frieden also will be speaking at the Rory Staunton Foundation Sepsis Forum on Sept. 17.