Alarming study: Sepsis often remains undetected in the emergency services!

Alarming study: Sepsis often remains undetected in the emergency services!

A shocking health secret awaits us! In Germany, more than 230,000 people fall ill year after year, also known as blood poisoning. What many do not know: This insidious illness kills over 85,000 people every year! The Action Alliance for Patient Safety raises the alarm: the number of unreported cases is probably much higher.

for Wolfgang Bauer, emergency doctor at the renowned Berlin Charité, is sepsis an aggressive reaction of the body to any kind of infection, be it pneumonia or an injured wound. It spreads out like a storm in the body, and the body that wants to help itself ultimately attacks its own cells. "This can lead to a septic shock - and that is often fatal," warns Bauer.

emergency services in blind flight

Despite these explosive facts, an alarming study shows that many rescue workers do not recognize sepsis! Bauer and the health scientist Silke Piedmont have analyzed over 221,000 missions and the result is sobering. In terrifying 0.1 percent of cases, emergency doctors documented the suspicion of a septic shock. This is not just a mistake - it is a risk to many patients!

The results are simply shocking: only 1.6 percent of the patients in the emergency services were diagnosed with sepsis in the hospital, while heart attack and stroke were only slightly above with 2.6 and 2.7 percent. But the mortality rate is a completely different topic! Almost 32 percent of sepsis patients die within 30 days-a devastating difference to 13 percent in the heart attack and 12 percent when stroke!

What's going on here? If the rescue staff do not measure the right vital signs - such as heart rate or blood pressure - sepsis is often overlooked. Despite the existing guidelines, it is often only decided according to the gut feeling. Bauer emphasizes that there is a lack of fundamental awareness of the disease - not only for rescue workers, but also in the general population!

provision is better than aftercare

sepsis can meet everyone and can have dramatic long -term consequences! Many survivors suffer from difficulties of concentration, language or visual problems, and amputations are even necessary for some patients. "It is vital that more people know the symptoms!" Piedmont calls up. The alarm signs include sudden confusion, low blood pressure and breathing difficulties.

But there is hope! The best defense against sepsis is the prevention of infections. Regular hand washing and vaccinations against the most common cause, such as pneumococci and meningococci, can help to keep this dangerous disease in chess. How often do we still have to hear that every minute counts while we rip in the dark? Time to raise awareness of fatal sepsis!

dpa/wb