Sepsis and Medical Malpractice

What did boxer Muhammad Ali, Muppets creator Jim Henson, and actress Patty Duke all have in common? Each of these legends died from sepsis, a condition which kills about 258,000 Americans each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines sepsis as a complication caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection. Also referred to as blood poisoning, sepsis can lead to tissue damage and organ failure. If sepsis is not diagnosed and treated in time it can lead to septic shock and death.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), sepsis is the cause of one third to one half of all deaths that occur in U.S. hospitals, which is about 225,000 to 350,000 deaths per year. Despite the high death toll, sepsis does not get nearly the same attention and research that conditions like heart disease and cancer do.

What are the symptoms of sepsis?

Sepsis is a combination of symptoms that are the result of an infection, which can include symptoms such as vomiting, sore throat or diarrhea. A person with sepsis might also experience:

• Shivering, fever or feeling very cold
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Clammy or sweaty skin
• Confusion or disorientation
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate

Because the symptoms of sepsis such as high fever and difficulty breathing are also symptoms of other illnesses, doctors do not always recognize it as sepsis in the early stages of the condition. Sepsis must be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible after it is diagnosed. Depending on the progression, some patients will require intravenous fluids and oxygen to keep blood oxygen levels and blood pressure at normal levels.

The CDC says sepsis is a medical emergency

Tom Frieden, Director of the CDC, said point blank “When sepsis occurs, it should be treated as a medical emergency.” When sepsis is caught within the first few hours, the prognosis is often good, but when it goes undetected and untreated mortality rates begin to skyrocket.

The CDC wants to get members of the public familiar with asking telling their doctors, “I am concerned about sepsis,” when they or a loved one is in the hospital and exhibiting any of the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Towards that goal, they have published a sepsis fact sheet that describes the symptoms and the risks posed to certain groups to develop the condition.

The CDC recommends the following to prevent sepsis:

1. Get vaccinated
2. Prevent infections that can lead to sepsis by cleaning wounds and washing hands
3. Learn the symptoms of sepsis

Given that patients who have sepsis often enter the hospital with it, sepsis is not always a hospital acquired infection (HAI). However, if you or a loved had sepsis that went undiagnosed and untreated, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.