Sepsis a major cause of death among patients

ISLAMABAD
The data collected from public sector hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi shows sepsis as one of the major causes of death among hospitalised patients which, according to health experts, can be prevented by adopting simple precautionary measures.
According to a medical specialist serving at Intensive Care Unit of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Dr. Muhammad Haroon, as many as 97 patients died of sepsis at PIMS from April 2014 till present time, while 68 died of it at Federal Government Polyclinic. He informed ‘The News’ that during last one year, sepsis claimed 118 lives at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 91 at Holy Family Hospital and 76 lives at District Headquarters Hospital.
He said that the causes for sepsis are infections of skin, soft tissues, lungs, liver, GI tract, urine and brain. He said sepsis is one of the oldest diseases among humans, however, over centuries and decades, the treatment of sepsis has revolutionised and once untreatable sepsis is now treated with modern antibiotics, fluids and medicines that improve organ functions and organ support with state-of-the-art monitoring.
In medical science, sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body. This inflammation can trigger a cascade of changes that can damage multiple organ systems, causing them to fail. If sepsis progresses to septic shock, blood pressure drops dramatically and it may lead to death.
Studies reveal that anyone can develop sepsis, but it is most common and most dangerous in older adults or those with weakened immune systems. Early treatment of sepsis, usually with antibiotics and large amounts of intravenous fluids, improves chances for survival.
Dr. Muhammad Haroon explained that sepsis is a disease in which a cascade of events and chemical reactions disturbs normal function and cause organs and system failure pushing body in process of dying. He suggested that all patients with infections who do not respond to medicines should be evaluated for sepsis.
He said that like all major diseases, sepsis is treatable in initial ‘golden hours’. After organ failure or septic shock, chances of recovery decrease. According to him, the biggest issue in twin cities is the awareness about sepsis and its timely recognition. Hospital acquired infections are a common source of sepsis and multi-organ failure. It can be prevented by simple measures like hand washing, sterilisation and disinfection, said Dr. Muhammad Haroon. He said that most often sepsis occurs in people who are hospitalised. People in the intensive care unit are especially vulnerable to developing infections, which can lead to sepsis. If you get an infection or if you develop signs and symptoms of sepsis after surgery, hospitalisation or an infection, you must seek medical care immediately. To a query, he said the most common warning signs of sepsis include decreased urine volume, shortness of breath, fever for more than seven days even after usage of antibiotics, persistent drowsiness, altered consciousness, generalized fatigue and irritability, bleeding from any site, change in skin colour, neck stiffness, blurred vision, syncope (fall on ground), and persistent dizziness.