Baptist Health Paducah provides tips for Sepsis Awareness Month

Every two minutes someone dies from sepsis in the US – more than prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined.

 Every two minutes someone dies from sepsis in the US – more than prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined.  Baptist Health Paducah aims to raise awareness during September, which is Sepsis Awareness Month. 

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. This extreme inflammatory response (swelling) in the body is frequently caused by a bacterial or viral infection, such as pneumonia or influenza, but it can be caused by parasitic or fungal infections. The body’s immune system, which is supposed to fight off the infection, goes into overdrive and begins to attack your body. It is life-threatening, and without prompt treatment, often rapidly leads to tissue damage, organ failure and death.

Baptist Health Paducah recently held Sepsis boot camps for nursing staff on how to recognize sepsis and initiate treatment protocols early. In all, 109 sepsis champions were trained.

The four most common infections that can lead to sepsis are lung infection, urinary tract infection, gut infection and skin infection.  It is important to know the signs and symptoms to act fast. To learn more about sepsis and how to prevent infections visit www.cdc.gov/sepsis.