CDC and Sepsis Alliance Team Up for Sepsis Awareness Month

Sepsis Alliance and CDC are collaborating on a variety of awareness and education efforts to improve early detection and treatment of sepsis.

San Diego, CA (August 27, 2015) – Sepsis Alliance and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will mark Sepsis Awareness Month in September by collaborating on a variety of efforts and new resources. Throughout the month of September, CDC will release a new series of fact sheets, host a twitter chat to engage the public in a conversation about sepsis, and host a blog series on its Safe Healthcare Blog to share first-hand experiences of doctors, first responders, patients, and family members coping with the devastating effects of sepsis.

“Sepsis is a devastating illness that affects hundreds of thousands of people each year, and it kills up to half of those who get it,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “Many people have never heard of sepsis, and clinicians can be slow to recognize it.   Awareness is critical, because the slightest delay in treatment of sepsis can mean the difference between life or death.”

Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Fewer than half of Americans surveyed have heard of sepsis, yet it kills over 258,000 people in the US every year. In addition, the thousands that survive sepsis often face life-altering disabilities, such as limb amputations, organ failure, and post-sepsis syndrome.

Timed to coincide with Sepsis Awareness Month in September, CDC, Sepsis Alliance, and the Rory Staunton Foundation are publishing new sepsis fact sheets on a variety of topics including “Sepsis Facts,” “Life After Sepsis,” and “Cancer, Infection and Sepsis.” The patient fact sheets are designed for use by hospitals and healthcare providers, and are available for download from CDC’s website at cdc.gov/sepsis, as well as from Sepsis Alliance.

CDC is also collaborating with clinical professional organizations to improve awareness among healthcare providers and enhance early detection and treatment of sepsis.

“CDC and its emergency responders have served on the front lines of our nation’s worst epidemics, and sepsis is the next battlefield,” noted Thomas Heymann, president and executive director of Sepsis Alliance. “Early identification and treatment can help stop sepsis in its tracks, and we are thankful to be working with CDC in shining a spotlight on this silent killer.”

Sepsis Awareness Month was founded by Sepsis Alliance to help raise the alarm on sepsis. Every year, more people and health organizations are holding community events throughout the country designed to coincide with Sepsis Awareness Month. For 2015, there are many new and exciting ways for individuals and organizations to participate. To learn more, visit the official Sepsis Awareness Month website at: https://www.sepsisawarenessmonth.org.

About Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis Alliance is the leading nonprofit patient advocacy organization in North America promoting awareness of sepsis. Sepsis Alliance’s mission is to save lives by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. The organization hosts national and community events, distributes educational information, and promotes training and education of sepsis and its devastating effects. Sepsis Alliance also provides support by giving patients and family members information about sepsis and post sepsis syndrome (PSS), as well as a community forum to share their experiences. Sepsis Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is a GuideStar Gold Rated Charity.

For more information, please visit www.sepsis.org.

About CDC

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, stem from human error or deliberate attack, CDC is committed to responding to America’s most pressing health challenges.

For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/sepsis.