Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Like strokes and heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Patients with sepsis can quickly decline and develop severe sepsis and/or septic shock within hours, which is why early detection and treatment is critical for sepsis patients.
Why is TIME important?
Every 20 seconds, another person in the U.S. will be diagnosed with sepsis. Early detection and treatment are essential for survival and limiting disability for survivors of sepsis. For every hour treatment is delayed, the risk of death increases by 4% to 9%. As many as 80% of sepsis deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment.
For sepsis to be diagnosed, you must have signs and symptoms of sepsis in addition to a suspected or confirmed infection. The Sepsis Alliance developed a quick way to remember what to watch for with sepsis. It’s about TIME.
A more comprehensive list of adult sepsis signs and symptoms, including organ dysfunction, are noted below:
- Mental decline
- High or low temperature
- Fast heart rate
- Fast breathing rate
- Low blood pressure
- Decreased urine output
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Take the TIME to learn the signs of sepsis. You could save a life.