September is Sepsis Awareness Month

Posted on: 9/12/18


Did you know?
  • 1st - Sepsis ranking in cause of readmission and cost of hospitalization in U.S.
  • 3rd - How sepsis ranks in leading causes of death in the U.S
  • 42 percent - Percent of Americans who have not heard of sepsis.
  • >$18,000 - Average cost of a sepsis hospital stay.
  • 270,000 - Number of persons who die from sepsis every year in the U.S.
  • 1.7 million - Persons in the U.S. diagnosed with sepsis every year, one every 20 seconds.    
  • 3 million - Children who die worldwide each year from sepsis.
  • 299 - Estimated # of lives saved in 18 Oklahoma hospitals that participated in Year 1 of the Oklahoma Sepsis Collaborative after implementation of a patient screening tool and sepsis bundle treatment protocols during an eight-month period (Oct 2015-May 2016).      
                
If these rankings do not convince us of the imminent need for early sepsis recognition education for patients and health care providers and implementation of evidence-based treatment protocols in hospitals, consider this: 
→ The mortality rate for patients in septic shock is 30-50 percent, and there is a 7.6 percent decrease in survival rate for every hour in delay of antibiotic administration.1  
→ Sepsis can be treated, and in many instances lives can be saved through early recognition and implementation of sepsis treatment protocols.

What is sepsis?
  • Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, amputations and death.   
  • Sepsis is a medical emergency that requires urgent attention and treatment for survival.  
Who may be impacted by sepsis?
  • Sepsis can impact anyone – people of all ages, sick or well.  
  • Some people may be more susceptible, such as persons with a weakened immune system, those very young or older adults.  
What are the signs of sepsis?
For Patients 
For Health Care Providers
(at least 2 of the following for Sepsis)
Confusion or disorientation Known or suspected infection
Shortness of breath Tachycardia >90 bpm
High heart rate  Acutely Altered Mental Status
Fever, chills, shivering, or feeling very cold  Tachypnea >20 bpm
Clammy or sweaty skin  Hyperglycemia (>120 mg/dl) in the absence of diabetes
Extreme pain or discomfort   Hyperthermia >38.3°C or Hypothermia <36°C

What can we do?
  • Access and share educational resources for patients. 2  
  • Access and share educational resources for health care providers and staff, including screening tools and bundles of care.3,4,5
  • Adopt and implement evidence-based practice for early identification through screening and early treatment of patients using the one- and three-hour sepsis bundles of care.4, 5,6
Resources:
1. Timing of antibiotics for surviving sepsis
2. Consumer fact sheet protect yourself from sepsis
3. sepsis.org 
4. CDC - Sepsis Clinical Resources
5. Sepsis and septic shock change package
6. Sepsis and septic shock top ten checklist

Save the dates for OHA 2022 events

Posted on: 2/18/22


It’s a new year and a new lineup of important events for you and your staff. Don’t miss out on these opportunities to engage in advocacy, education and networking all year long. Mark your calendar now!

OHA Advocacy Day - Tuesday, April 5, Oklahoma History Center. Join us for our annual legislative day. We will begin with a member briefing at 3 p.m., followed by a legislative reception at 5 p.m. Watch for registration materials soon.

OHA-PAC Golf Tournament - Tuesday, June 21, Jimmie Austin Golf Club at OU, Norman. Time and details TBA.

OHA Health Care Leaders Forum - Tuesday, July 19 - Thursday, July 21, Shangri-La Resort, Grand Lake. Watch for registration soon!

OHA Connect 22 - Wednesday, Nov. 9 - Friday, Nov. 11, Oklahoma City Convention Center and Omni Hotel, downtown Oklahoma City. Plan now to attend OHA’s annual conference and exhibit hall. More details to come.

Details on these events and other upcoming education opportunities will be available on the OHA website.