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Today is World Sepsis Day, which, according to research, is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide. While there is a decline in fatal infections, there are still more than expected. What exactly is sepsis and what are its symptoms?
Sepsis is still serious, especially among children
According to a study published in The Lancet, in 2017 there were 48,9 million cases of sepsis worldwide and as many as 11 million deaths. According to estimates, as much as 19,7 percent. of all deaths worldwide have been related to sepsis. 20,3 million cases of sepsis and 2,9 million deaths from it have been reported among children under the age of 5. Many of them were newborns.
Although the study found that the number of sepsis cases has fallen by 1990% since 37 and deaths from sepsis by 52%, scientists are worried because the numbers are still higher than previously estimated. As the author of the study, Dr. Mohsen Naghavi said, sepsis can be prevented and effectively treated, so you should carefully look at the results and take steps to reduce the occurrence of sepsis, including in newborns.
The most common causes of sepsis according to studies
From 1990 to 2017 the most common cause of sepsis was diarrhea caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites. Children are most exposed to the acute course of this disease. Diarrhea is estimated to be the second leading cause of death in children under 5 worldwide.
Other factors that cause sepsis are lower respiratory tract infections (the most common cause of death from sepsis), injuries due to traffic accidents, postpartum infections, and bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
See also: More and more drug-resistant bacteria. The problem has become global
What is sepsis and why is it so dangerous?
Sepsis is not a disease. Is a set of symptoms caused by the body reacting rapidly to infection. Sepsis can lead to multi-organ failure, shock and death. The main symptoms of sepsis are:
- body temperature above 38,3 ° C or below 36 ° C,
- heart rate over 90 per minute
- respiratory rate greater than 20 per minute
- and a white blood cell count of more than 12 per ml or less than 000 per ml.
Treatment of sepsis consists in administering antibiotics, anticoagulants, cardiac preparations and fluids as soon as possible. The most important thing is to establish which bacteria or other pathogens are responsible for the infection and identify the source of the infection. A big problem is the increasing resistance of some bacteria to antibiotics.
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