World Sepsis Day was marked Wednesday, September 13 with a call to raise awareness on the silent killer condition.
According to WHO, the life-threatening condition kills 11 million people each year, many of whom are young children and other vulnerable populations in low-income countries.
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection spirals rapidly out of control. Instead of fighting just the infection, the immune system starts to attack the whole body, potentially leading to multiple organ failure and death. In Kenya, neonatal sepsis remains a concern accounting for 38pc of the deaths.
In 2017, almost half of all global sepsis cases occurred among children, with an estimated 20 million cases and 2.9 million global deaths in children under 5 years of age.
Although anyone with an infection can develop Sepsis, those at risk are pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, immunosuppressed people with chronic diseases, and hospitalized patients
Here is everything you need to know about sepsis:
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection spirals rapidly out of control. Instead of fighting just the infection, the immune system starts to attack the whole body, potentially leading to multiple organ failure and death.
It can affect anyone, but people who are older, very young, pregnant, or have other health problems are at higher risk.
Common signs of sepsis include fever, fast heart rate, rapid breathing, confusion, and body pain. It can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure, and death.
Sepsis is usually caused by bacterial infections but may be the result of other infections such as viruses, parasites or fungi.
Treatment for sepsis requires medical care. It will include antimicrobials, intravenous fluids and careful monitoring.
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