The main symptoms Russ Kino, MD, medical director of emergency management at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, looks for in patients with a life-threatening infection called sepsis are fever, rapid Breathing is light-headed.

“Sepsis is a condition in which an infection within the body spreads to the bloodstream and can be very dangerous,” Kino told Berrywell. Part of the danger lies in the fact that sepsis causes collateral damage to vital organs. Infections that cause sepsis usually begin in the urinary tract, skin, lungs, or digestive system.

In the United States, 1.7 million adults develop sepsis each year.

“Sepsis contributes to one-third to one-half of all hospital deaths in the United States and is more common than heart attacks and strokes combined,” said Harry, associate professor of internal medicine and professor of respiratory and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan. – Prescott, M.D., said. very well.

A medical facility is supposed to be a clean, safe place to go to recover, so you might be surprised to learn that it’s actually possible to develop sepsis while in the hospital. In honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week, we would like to remind you of this risk.

Prescott said most cases of sepsis begin outside the hospital, but about 15 percent of sepsis cases are acquired within the hospital. Some studies even suggest that sepsis mortality may be higher in people who develop an infection in the hospital compared to those who acquire the infection in a non-hospital setting.

Although sepsis cannot always be avoided, there are some preventative measures that patients and their families can take during their hospital stay.

Who gets sepsis?

Sepsis can affect anyone, but it’s usually more common in people with weakened immune systems, Chris Seymour, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, told Berrywell.

For people with weakened immune systems, the body tries to respond to the infection but may not be able to contain it. “The immune system becomes dysregulated and begins to affect other organs in the body, distant from the site of infection,” Seymour says. “That causes sepsis syndrome.”

Prescott said sepsis is more common in people who are very old at developing infections (such as infants and the elderly) and in people who have conditions or treatments that weaken their immune systems. Common examples include cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and people with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

Another risk factor is undergoing an invasive procedure such as surgery.

Inserting a catheter or using a ventilator are also risk factors for developing sepsis, as they can introduce bacteria and other pathogens into the body.

How do hospitals prevent sepsis?

Because healthcare facilities are places where people go when they are sick, a variety of bacteria and other pathogens are inevitably present in the air and surfaces of the building. Still, Kino and Prescott said hospitals have strict protocols and standards because sepsis is relatively common and can be life-threatening.

Infection prevention measures include rigorous cleaning schedules and sterilization of spaces and equipment used for patient care. Healthcare workers also monitor patients for signs of sepsis and note who is at particular risk of developing complications.

“We need to assess the patient very quickly by administering intravenous antibiotics within an hour of arrival, monitor them very closely, and order specific laboratory tests according to a specific schedule,” Kino said. Stated.

How to check your hospital’s Sepsis Care Score

If you’re concerned (or just curious), you can visit Medicare.gov to find out about sepsis treatment at a particular hospital. Enter your zip code or search for your local hospital by name, click the link and scroll down to the Quality section.

Within the “Quality” section, look for the tab labeled “Timely and Effective Care.” This shows the proportion of patients who received appropriate treatment for severe sepsis and septic shock. The higher the percentage, the better.

For example, as of February 2024, the percentage of patients receiving appropriate sepsis treatment at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas was 76%, which is 16% higher than the national average of 60%.

How can I avoid sepsis in the hospital?

When you are in the hospital, your medical team must take steps to reduce the risk of sepsis and closely track your health status. But it also doesn’t hurt to learn about the signs and symptoms of sepsis and understand what the risk factors are.

“[Immunocompromised individuals] Even mild infections such as urinary tract infections, coughs and colds require careful monitoring and management,” Kino said. “In people who are immunosuppressed, these conditions can very easily progress to sepsis.”

Healthcare professionals also advise checking for up-to-date information on recommended routine vaccinations. Vaccines do not protect against all possible infections, but they stimulate the immune system to produce protective antibodies against specific pathogens.