Sepsis Survivors week is February 12 – 18. Sepsis Alliance is partnering with sepsis survivors to honor their experience by sharing their individual stories of survival and bringing awareness to the unseen mental, emotional, and physical challenges many survivors face every day.
Sepsis kills 350,000 adults each year in the United States, but did you know that up to 50% of sepsis survivors are left with physical and/or psychological long-term effects, a condition known as post-sepsis syndrome. Many sepsis survivors report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Sepsis survivors are more likely to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than other ICU survivors. Symptoms include:
- Insomnia, difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Nightmares, vivid hallucinations and panic attacks
- Disabling muscle and joint pains
- Extreme fatigue
- Poor concentration
- Decreased mental (cognitive) functioning
- Loss of self-esteem and self-belief
About one-third of all sepsis survivors, and more than 40% of older sepsis survivors, have another hospitalization within three months of the initial sepsis, most commonly due to a repeat episode of sepsis or another infection. Severe sepsis survivors who do not experience a sepsis readmission within three months still remain at elevated risk of a future sepsis episode.
Caregivers to survivors of critical illness are also at risk for poor mental health outcomes; 67% of caregivers (family members or friends) report high levels of depressive symptoms.
Sepsis Alliance is sharing resources to honor sepsis survivors and spread awareness of the challenges these patients and their families face.
Upcoming free webinars from Sepsis Alliance
February 22 – The Secrets of the CBC….What’s the Diff? (Beckman Coulter sponsored session)
March 7 – Give Blood Culture Quality the Attention Your Patients Deserve – It Takes a Team! (BD Sponsored Session)
March 9 – Recognition and Treatment of Infections in ESKD and AKI in Sepsis – A Special World Kidney Day Event (1.20 RN CE Contact Hours)
April 20 – Sepsis Risks and Clinical Considerations in Pediatric Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (1.20 RN CE Contact Hours)