Sepsis kills close to a quarter of a million people each year. It is a health epidemic that when recognized is successfully treated with antibiotics and fluids. The cure for sepsis when recognized is basic medicine. The problem is that sepsis is frequently missed. One of the reasons that it is missed is that the public and doctors are not looking for it.

It is believed that many deaths whose causes are listed on the death certificate as cancer, heart disease and diabetes are actually caused by sepsis. With early diagnosis, death due to sepsis is preventable.

Getting the word out to the public and the health care community is imperative. The role of government in communicable public health issues such as tuberculosis, influenza, whopping cough and many other contagious diseases has resulted in successfully eradicating the disease.

Recognition of the symptoms of sepsis is a first step in successfully decreasing the deaths caused by sepsis. The State of New York is making the recognition and treatment of sepsis a health policy priority. See:

http://www.survivingsepsis.org/News/Pages/New-York-Adopts-Sepsis-Rules.aspx