Tahoe Forest Health System Raising Awareness of Sepsis

Tahoe Forest Health System wants to inform our community about the third leading cause of death in the U.S.—sepsis.

Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threating response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. Because sepsis can not only be treated, but prevented, thousands of lives can be saved each year by simply raising awareness of its symptoms.

“There are so many people right here in our local community who could be affected by sepsis and we wanted to take this opportunity to raise awareness for this entirely treatable condition,” said Judy Newland, TFHS Chief Operating Officer.

Sepsis Statistics

• Sepsis is a medical emergency that kills over 250,000 Americans a year—one every two minutes—which is more than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and AIDS, combined.
• More than 42,000 children develop severe sepsis each year and 4,400 of these children lose their life, more than from pediatric cancers.
• Someone is diagnosed with sepsis every 20 seconds in the U.S.
• According to the 2016 Sepsis Alliance Annual Survey, only 55 percent of adults have even heard of sepsis.
• Sepsis is a worldwide emergency. More than 26 million people from around the globe are affected by sepsis each year and is the largest killer of children—more than 5 million each year.

Symptoms of sepsis may include shivering and fever, extreme pain, accelerated heartbeat, sleepy and difficult to rouse, skin pale or discolored, or shortness of breath. If you suspect someone you know or love may have sepsis, see a medical professional immediately, call 911, or go to a hospital and say, “I am concerned about sepsis.”

For more information about sepsis, visit www.sepsis.org.