Kolkata, Sep 8 (UNI) Sepsis is a life-threatening syndromic response to infection and frequently a final common pathway to death for many infectious diseases worldwide.
It involves organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection and if not recognized early and managed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death.
Although a precise estimate of the global epidemiological burden of sepsis is difficult to ascertain, a recent scientific publication reported that sepsis affects an estimated 49 million people and causes 11 million deaths globally every year.
On September 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) is publishing the Global report on the epidemiology and burden of sepsis: Current evidence, identifying gaps and future directions. The report describes results from original research and existing published evidence, the methodologies and limitations of the studies, and identifies gaps and priorities for future research.
In the community setting, sepsis often presents as the clinical deterioration of common and preventable infections. Sepsis also frequently results from infections acquired in health care settings, which are one of the most frequent adverse events during care delivery and affect hundreds of millions of patients worldwide every year.
Healthcare-associated infections are often resistant to antibiotics and can rapidly lead to deteriorating clinical conditions. Antimicrobial resistance is a major factor determining clinical unresponsiveness to treatment and rapid evolution to sepsis and septic shock.
Sepsis patients with resistant pathogens have been found to have a higher risk of hospital mortality. Implementing preventive measures against infections, such as good hygiene practices, ensuring access to vaccination programmes, improved sanitation and water quality and availability, and other infection prevention and control best practices both in the community and health care settings, are key steps in reducing the occurrence of sepsis.
Early diagnosis and timely and appropriate clinical management of sepsis, such as optimal antimicrobial use and fluid resuscitation, are crucial to increase the likelihood of survival. Even though the onset of sepsis can be acute and poses a short-term mortality burden, it can also be the cause of significant long-term morbidity requiring treatment and support. Thus, sepsis requires a multidisciplinary approach.
On September 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), are co-organising the free online event World Sepsis Congress Spotlight: Sepsis, Pandemics, and Antimicrobial Resistance – Global Health Threats of the 21st Century. This WSC Spotlight Conference brings together highly ranked representatives of international and national healthcare authorities, NGOs, policymakers, clinical scientists, researchers, and pioneers in healthcare improvement with the unified goal of improving AMR and sepsis healthcare around the world.
The objectives are to review achievements, challenges, and potential solutions to combat the threats posed by AMR and sepsis globally.
Speakers will describe the current global epidemiology and burden of sepsis and AMR, explore a future research agenda, provide an overview of lessons and challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent Ebola outbreaks, and ultimately explore innovative and cost-effective approaches to preventing and combating sepsis and AMR.
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