Preventing sepsis

Sepsis is a serious medical condition that can become fatal within hours. Arizona parents may not know that sepsis is responsible for the hospitalization of 75,000 children and teenagers every year in the United States. The results of a 2013 study show that almost 7,000 children will die each year from it, a number that is over three times the number of deaths resulting from pediatric cancers annually. For some of the children who are able to survive the condition, they may endure long-term complications, such as amputated limbs and damage to their organs.

Several hospitals are participating in a nationwide effort to address the prevalence of sepsis. The hospitals aim to decrease the number of deaths caused by childhood sepsis and the diagnoses of acute sepsis at their facilities by 75 percent by no later than 2020. More hospitals are expected to join the more than 40 that have gotten together.

Detection and treatment protocols designed by several experts will be implemented. Patients will be screened for any indications that could be linked to sepsis. Cases of potential sepsis will be treated with intravenous fluids and antibiotics infusions. Information regarding the sepsis cases, such as how quickly the patients received treatments, will be provided to the alliance so that efficient diagnostic and treatment methods will be identified. Some of the hospitals will also focus on educating the public, such as by informing the parents of cancer patients about the warning signs of sepsis.

A failure to diagnose this type of a disease in a timely manner can be catastrophic. Parents who have been harmed as a result may want to discuss their options with a medical malpractice attorney.