Twice as many Australians die from sepsis than previously thought

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Source: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/hea...16-p53s4q.html

Twice as many Australians die from sepsis than previously thought
By Rachel Clun
January 17, 2020 — 12.53am

Twice as many Australians die from sepsis each year and three times as many people are diagnosed with the condition than previously thought.

A study, published in The Lancet on Friday, found there were 49 million sepsis cases and 11 million deaths from the condition worldwide in 2017.

While previous estimates put the number of Australian cases at 18,000 and deaths at 5000, co-author Professor Simon Finfer said thanks to their more accurate picture of the scale of the problem the number of cases was 55,000, with 8700 deaths.

"About 15 per cent of people who get sepsis die," said Professor Finfer, from the George Institute for Global Health.

"We know from people who survive, 50 per cent will have significant ongoing healthcare problems – physical, cognitive and psychological – and there’s no coordinated services for these people."

While sepsis kills more people in Australia than lung, bowel or breast cancers, Professor Finfer said only 40 per cent of the population have heard of it.

"The only thing we know reduces the risk of death is rapid diagnosis and treatment, so we need that increase in awareness within the general community and for the healthcare workers who are likely to see people with sepsis because it’s a time critical emergency," he said.

Sepsis is caused when an immune response to infection starts to damage tissues and organs. Without fast treatment it can lead to death and survivors will often have ongoing health issues...

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Source: https://www.scpr.org/news/2020/01/16...than-previous/

Sepsis Kills Millions More Worldwide Than Previously Estimated
Richard Harris | NPR | January 16, 2020

A medical condition that often escapes public notice may be involved in 20% of deaths worldwide, according to a new study.

The disease is sepsis — sometimes called blood poisoning. It arises when the body overreacts to an infection. Blood vessels throughout the body become leaky, triggering multiple-organ failure.

It is surprisingly common in the United States: One prominent study estimates 1.7 million cases a year and 270,000 deaths. Sepsis in the U.S. can strike otherwise healthy people who get an infection that runs amok. Many other cases arise in the hospital. That occurs frequently in people who are already in poor health.

"Often the underlying cause is something like lung cancer," says Dr. Kristina Rudd, the lead author of a study published Thursday in the Lancet. Those people may develop pneumonia, which in turn leads to a deadly case of sepsis. With this domino effect, "It can be really hard to sort that out," she says...