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Public awareness of sepsis limited in Sweden
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Only 21% of the people surveyed in Sweden have heard of sepsis, according to a study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
“The awareness of sepsis in the Swedish population is low,” Lisa Mellhammar, MD, of Skåne University Hospital, and colleagues wrote. “This is remarkable since both the incidence and mortality is higher than for well-recognized diseases such as breast and prostate cancer.”
Mellhammar and colleagues interviewed 1,001 participants aged 18 to 74 years in an online survey conducted from March 6 to March 9.
The researchers found that 21% of participants had heard of sepsis, while at least 86% had heard of the other conditions listed on the survey, including stroke (95%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (95%) and leukemia (92%). Among participants aware of sepsis, 92% correctly indicated that it is an infectious disease, according to survey results.
“The lack of awareness might be a target for improving the management of sepsis,” Mellhammar and colleagues wrote. “One cannot conclude that better awareness leads to better survival in sepsis, since many factors influence the delays in seeking health care, but it can be a feasible and promising attempt, until novel therapies and biomarkers can improve the outcome.” – by Will Offit
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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