Sepsis is a global healthcare problem affecting 31,500,000 people and causing 5,300,000 deaths annually1. Sepsis is the most expensive condition treated in hospitals and kills ten times more than heart attack. Sepsis is common and often deadly, yet public awareness of sepsis is low2.
At the 70th World Health Assembly (World Health Organization (WHO) decision-making body) held on May 22nd-31st 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, delegates agreed on a resolution to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sepsis3.
The resolution calls for governments and policy makers to improve policies and procedures related to sepsis, with particular focus on prevention of infection and limitation of further spread of antibiotic resistance. The WHA stresses the importance of raising public awareness of sepsis through proper communication of symptoms, causes and possible outcomes. Awareness also concerns healthcare workers, who should be trained to recognize the symptoms of sepsis fast and provide early treatment.
The resolution requests that the WHO and the Director General develop guidelines for the diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis. Finally, a report on the global epidemiology and burden of sepsis should be published by the end of 2018 to draw attention to the public health impact of sepsis4.
References:
- Fleischmann, C., et al., Assessment of Global Incidence and Mortality of Hospital-treated Sepsis. Current Estimates and Limitations. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2016. 193(3): p. 259-72. (Pubmed)
- Sepsis Alliance: www.sepsis.org
- World Health Organisation: www.who.int
- Reinhart, K., et al., Recognizing Sepsis as a Global Health Priority – A WHO Resolution. N Engl J Med, 2017. (Pubmed)