World Sepsis Day

Sepsis arises from the urgency of the human body to attack infection - so much that the patient’s life is in danger. It is estimated that 30 million people are affected by sepsis annually, including 4 million newborns and children. Six million of these patients will die(1), while survivors can develop a range of complications, from limb amputations and chronic pain to organs not functioning properly and even to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)(2). Victims of sepsis do not have a specific profile either; they can be young or old, previously healthy or with a history of comorbidities. Nevertheless, there is one characteristic of sepsis that is observed in the majority of cases; sepsis is too often misdiagnosed, as it has a vast range of symptoms, including those of the common cold. The unfortunate result is delayed appropriate care and increased mortality risk.

In the last years extensive research has been done to devise tests that would quickly diagnose sepsis(3,4), the fastest test taking just a few minutes(5), while in some Europe healthcare organizations, such as the National Healthcare System in the UK, algorithms have been introduced to accurately predict the risk of a patient developing sepsis, reducing delayed diagnoses. Indeed, an early accurate diagnosis of sepsis would be a turning point to the patient receiving appropriate care. Raising awareness on sepsis symptoms is paramount, thus we've compiled a general guide on sepsis' symptoms.

We are proud to be part of the race against sepsis with Hemotune’s Magnetic Blood Purification device. By filtering the blood and controlling the symptoms of sepsis, valuable time could be gained, increasing the chances of survival.

For further information visit the Global Sepsis Alliance and World Sepsis Day websites.

1 Fleischmann C, Scherag A, Adhikari NKJ, Hartog CS, Tsaganos T, Schlattmann P et al. Assessment of global incidence and mortality of hospital-treated sepsis current estimates and limitations. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016. doi:10.1164/rccm.201504-0781OC.

2 Boer KR, Van Ruler O, Van Emmerik AAP, Sprangers MA, De Rooij SE, Vroom MB et al. Factors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in a prospective cohort of patients after abdominal sepsis: A nomogram. Intensive Care Med 2008. doi:10.1007/s00134-007-0941-3.

3 Ellett F, Jorgensen J, Marand AL, Liu YM, Martinez MM, Sein V et al. Diagnosis of sepsis from a drop of blood by measurement of spontaneous neutrophil motility in a microfluidic assay. Nat Biomed Eng 2018. doi:10.1038/s41551-018-0208-z.

4 Russell C, Ward AC, Vezza V, Hoskisson P, Alcorn D, Steenson DP et al. Development of a needle shaped microelectrode for electrochemical detection of the sepsis biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) in real time. Biosens Bioelectron 2019. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2018.11.053.

5 Eggimann P, Que YA, Rebeaud F. Measurement of pancreatic stone protein in the identification and management of sepsis. Biomark. Med. 2019. doi:10.2217/bmm-2018-0194.