Sepsis lies on the pathway from infection to death. While we have discovered drugs against bugs that cure infections, yet sometimes infections are overwhelming. As a response, our body’s immune system fights back. We call this as a host response. In extreme situations, conflict between the invading bugs and host response starts damaging our own organs. This leads to a massive disorder, and our vital organs such as kidneys, heart, lungs, liver begin to malfunction. Such a complex medical condition is sepsis.
Changing views on Sepsis over time
The word ‘sepsis’ comes from Greek, where it was used to mean ‘a rot’ or ‘putrefaction’. Such a decay would lead to death. For centuries, we did not have any means to fight infections. Nor did we have blood tests to know how does our body exactly respond to infection. When we had our first antibiotic – penicillin, we thought for a while that the battle against infections was won.
But despite penicillin, and a host of other antibiotics that followed suit, our struggle against infections continues. Despite knowing features of overwhelming infection, we first defined sepsis only in 1991. This simplistic definition was given by an intensive care specialist Roger Bone. By this definition sepsis was merely an inflammatory response to infection. After a second revision in 2001 and a third one in 2016, now we know sepsis as a response which causes organ dysfunction. Doctors assess this organ dysfunction, using a scoring system called SOFA. In simple words, sepsis is a consequence of a bad infection.
How do we treat sepsis
A person with sepsis needs an intensive care, and should initially be given generous amounts of intravenous fluids, appropriate antibiotics, and right diagnostics to identify the incriminating bug.
If these initial measures do-not work, patients may need an organ support such as a medications to improve blood pressure, mechanical ventilator for lungs, or dialysis for kidneys. In sepsis, about 30-40% individuals succumb when blood pressure continues to fall, and more and more organs fail. Over the years, the bugs that cause an overwhelming infection, have become resistant to the antibiotic drugs. This has made our struggles against infections even more difficult.
Carl Flatley and Sepsis advocacy
We observe 13th September every year as World sepsis day. We can attribute this sepsis advocacy to Carl Flately. Carl is a Dentist, specialising in Endodontics, in Florida. In 2002, his 23 year old daughter died of sepsis. She had visited the hospital only five days earlier, for an elective surgery. Carl was devastated. He found that sepsis is a common cause of death, due to an infection. By 2007, he had gathered a critical mass of parents, and sepsis survivors to form Sepsis Alliance. This alliance managed to raise funds for sepsis education and research. In 2010, many national Sepsis alliances got together to form Global Sepsis Alliance. This body represents more than 70 countries.
In 2012, Global Sepsis Alliance chose 13th September every year as World Sepsis day. In a 2023 blog Carl Flately wrote, that everyone should know about features of sepsis, so that they may be able to seek a better healthcare.
Sepsis Prevention: Save Lives, Stop Suffering
Sepsis prevention is the theme for World sepsis day in 2024. We can prevent sepsis, by preventing and recognising infections. Prompt treatment of infections, with appropriate agents will save lives. This is possible only by timely recognition in the community, and safe hospital practices to prevent nosocomial (or hospital acquired) infections.
