It carries long-term effects, Wang shares. “We’re realizing that there’s a whole sepsis survivor syndrome that’s been completely under-recognized in our field.”
Impaired brain function can be one serious after-effect, Wang, whose sepsis work has drawn on data from a large study called REGARDS that was originally designed to study the occurrence of stroke adds. He led a study published in Critical Care Medicine that found the rate of cognitive decline accelerates about sevenfold after experiencing sepsis.
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What are the signs of sepsis and who’s at risk?
Doctors continue to struggle in spotting the signs of sepsis, which can include a high heart rate or low blood pressure; confusion or disorientation; extreme pain; fever; and shortness of breath. But recent experiments using artificial intelligence have helped to spot the problem earlier.
Better understanding who’s at risk also could help, Wang notes.
People 65 and older, people with weakened immune systems, and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and cancer are at higher risk for sepsis, the CDC says.
Wang says people with kidney problems and vascular disease also have a higher risk, as do people with conditions that make them prone to blood clots. His work has linked obesity to sepsis risk, too.
For something so common, it doesn’t get a lot of attention, Wang shares. “We could probably save thousands of lives a year and really improve the lives and quality of life for all the survivors if we dedicate a lot more attention to this condition.”
How to prevent sepsis
Sepsis is a dangerous and serious condition that should be taken seriously. The best way to prevent sepsis is by avoiding infection via the following:
- Take good care of any chronic health conditions that you have
- Get recommended vaccines
- Practice good hygiene, such as handwashing
- Keep cuts clean and covered until healed