Archbold Recognizes Sepsis Awareness Month

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency that affects 1.7 million Americans annually, and at least 350,000 adults who develop sepsis die during their hospitalization or are discharged to hospice, according to the CDC.

In addition to educating the community on the risks of sepsis, Archbold is introducing Code Sepsis, a new overhead alert at Archbold Memorial intended to facilitate earlier recognition and treatment of sepsis.

“Every hour that treatment is delayed increases the risk of death,” said Kristy Howell, RN, Quality Improvement Coordinator at Archbold. “Overhead codes have long been used in hospitals to quickly mobilize teams for critical emergencies. The addition of Code Sepsis at Archbold Memorial Hospital highlights the importance of rapid recognition and response, supporting our efforts to improve early identification, provide timely interventions, and ultimately save lives.

A Code Sepsis call ensures that patients who meet criteria receive immediate recognition of possible sepsis; rapid initiation of antibiotics, fluids, and testing; and coordinated team action to improve survival rates.

Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lungs, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

Anyone can develop sepsis, but some people are at a higher risk, including adults over 65, children younger than one, pregnant or postpartum women, people with chronic conditions, and those who have survived a previous sepsis emergency.

Experts recommend the TIME method to recognize potential cases of sepsis.

Temperature – higher or lower than normal

Infection – may have signs or symptoms of infection

Mental Decline – confused, sleepy, difficult to rouse

Extremely Ill – severe pain, discomfort, shortness of breath

If you witness these warning signs in a loved one, call 911 or go to a hospital and say, “I’m concerned about sepsis.”

For more information about the risks of sepsis and what you can do to protect yourself and your family, please visit www.archbold.org/CDCsepsis