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Understanding sepsis

On Behalf of | Jan 16, 2018 | Medical Malpractice

Texas residents who have recently had an infection should know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that up to 3 million Americans receive a sepsis diagnosis annually. The condition will prove fatal for 15 to 30 percent of those who have been diagnosed.

According to the head of the Epidemiological Research and Innovations Branch at the CDC, sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. The reason that it can be fatal is because the inflammation and the lack of blood flow it causes can result in organ failure. A report that was released by the CDC reveals who may be most susceptible to developing the condition. According to the report, almost 80 percent of patients begin to develop sepsis away from the hospital. Seventy percent of sepsis patients had, in the recent past, received health care services or suffered from chronic medical conditions for which they need recurring medical care.

Clinicians are unable to use a specific test to diagnose sepsis. Instead, they have to rely on assessing biomarkers identified in lab tests and a combination of symptoms. Early treatment of the condition is crucial to recovery as the longer a sepsis patient is without treatment, the greater the chance the infection may be fatal. The type of infections that most commonly result in sepsis include those to the lung, skin, gut and urinary tract. The symptoms associated with sepsis include severe pain, extreme cold, shivering, sweaty skin, shortness of breath, confusion and an increased heart rate.

A failure to diagnose sepsis in a timely manner can lead to a worsened medial condition. People who have been harmed in such a manner might want to discuss their situation with a medical malpractice attorney.

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