Treatment of sepsis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Treatment of sepsis - Research Paper Example International campaigns to improve outcomes have emerged based upon the efforts of 11 different organizations in the guise of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. An international effort to increase awareness and improve outcome in severe sepsis. On the agenda are data from hospitals around the world, where the condition has been tackled by decades of dedicated work from a variety of researchers. Sepsis and related disorders are potentially life-threatening syndromes that occur in association with a suspected infections whose signs and symptoms match at least two conditions of a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The major SIRS conditions are an increased heart rate, fever, and rapid respiration; the young and the elderly often exhibit early signs and symptoms of sepsis sometimes before exhibiting the full scope of SIRS criteria. The majority of sepsis cases are the result of bacterial infection. Those hospitalized with sepsis are treated with intravenous antibiotics, and therapy to alleviate organ dysfunction. (Davis & Stà ¶ppler, 2011) Sepsis and systemic inflammation that arises as a result are still responsible for as much as 70% of mortality in some intensive care units. (Reidemann et al. 2003) The mortality rate of severe sepsis includes organ dysfunction as a result of infection or subsequent failure in blood pressure and septic shock. This is in cases where hypotension does not respond to fluid resuscitation and correlates with organ dysfunction or blood pressure issues is too high by the standards of any medical practitioner. (Dellinger et al. 2004) Even before signs of organ failure, the odds of mortality can still reach up to 30%. Prevention of infections in the first place and the expedient diagnosis and treatment of sepsis are the best ways to prevent sepsis and moderate sepsis syndromes. The prognosis depends on severity of sepsis, and can change rapidly unless answered with swift, effective treatment. Also influential is the underlying