Sepsis is the #1 cause of death in U.S. hospitals - killing over 350,000 American adults each year.
In 2011 September was deemed Sepsis Awareness Month by the Sepsis Alliance. Each month, healthcare professionals and medical organizations work to spread awareness about this disease. Sepsis affects an estimated 49 million people worldwide each year. However, only an estimated 35% of U.S. adults have ever heard of sepsis and even fewer actually understand what it is.
The video below offers a wonderful explanation of sepsis. Here are a few key takeaways: 
- Sepsis is the body's overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death
- Anybody can get sepsis, but young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems are more at risk
- More than 1.7 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with sepsis each year
- More than 75,000 American children develop severe sepsis and 6,800 of these children die, more than pediatric cancers
- Sepsis is the #1 cause of hospital readmissions, costing the healthcare industry $3.5 billion each year
- Common symptoms of sepsis include change in body temperature, signs of an infection, mental decline, and severe pain, discomfort, or shortness of breath
- If you experience a combination of these symptoms, seek urgent medical attention
- 80% of sepsis deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment
If you have additional questions or concerns that you or somebody you know might have sepsis, call the Prairie Lakes Emergency Department at 605-882-7000 or visit us in person by entering the ER entrance on the east side of campus:
