Sepsis Alliance Calls on Biden-Harris Administration for a National Sepsis Action Plan
September 11, 2023
The leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals and the number one cost of hospital care requires an urgent national response.
Sepsis Alliance, an education and advocacy organization dedicated to saving lives from sepsis across the U.S., is calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to develop and implement a National Sepsis Action Plan for addressing and eliminating the national burden of sepsis. The World Health Organization and the G7 have called for international action aimed at reducing the human and economic burdens of this devastating condition. Some nations, including Switzerland and the United Kingdom, have implemented national sepsis strategies, but the United States has yet to do so. A National Sepsis Action Plan is urgently needed to guide work aimed at countering sepsis, saving lives, and reducing healthcare costs.
Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection. It can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. In the United States alone, sepsis impacts 1.7 million adults each year, taking the lives of more than 350,000. Among children in the U.S., sepsis is responsible for more deaths than cancer, taking an average of 18 young lives each day. Sepsis is also the number one cost of care in U.S. hospitals at $62 billion annually.
According to Sepsis Alliance Board Chair Steven Q. Simpson, MD, “Sepsis is complex, often difficult to identify, and takes a tremendous societal toll in the United States. To tackle the number one killer in American hospitals, we need a comprehensive National Action Plan to find cures, get them in the hands of professionals, and educate the public and professionals alike.”
A National Sepsis Action Plan in the United States would work to bring together relevant government agencies and stakeholders, organize a national response to sepsis, and help improve sepsis diagnosis and treatment. Elements of a National Sepsis Action Plan should include, but not be limited to, the following:
- A National Sepsis Research Center, to prioritize sepsis research for better understanding and more effective diagnosis and treatment of this condition;
- A National Sepsis Data Trust, built on state and territorial sepsisregistries along with those managed by the nation’s private health organizations, like the data trust called for within the National Sepsis Data Trust, Outcomes, and Innovation Act, or Lulu’s Law, which is pending reintroduction in the 118th Congress;
- Guidelines for sepsis treatment at all health provider sites, requiring all to adopt and employ sepsis protocols to guide the rapid screening, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis in both adults and children;
- A National Education and Training Program for healthcare professionals, ensuring that all of our nation’s healthcare professionals are “sepsis-ready”;
- A National Sepsis Awareness and Education Program, with a focus on educating the public and enabling all to recognize the signs and symptoms of sepsis and know when to seek emergency care.
Sepsis Alliance urges the Biden-Harris Administration to develop and implement a National Sepsis Action Plan, catalyzing efforts to solve this deadly and costly condition.
For more information on the devastating impact of sepsis, please visit Sepsis.org.
About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance, the first and leading sepsis organization in the U.S., seeks to save lives and reduce suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care. More than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with sepsis each year in the U.S. with more than 350,000 adults dying and over 50% of survivors experiencing post-sepsis syndrome and other lingering effects, including amputations. At Sepsis Alliance’s founding in 2003, only 19% of U.S. adults were aware of the term “sepsis.” After over ten years of educational efforts for the general public and healthcare professionals through Sepsis.org, Sepsis Alliance Institute, and Sepsis Alliance Voices, awareness is at 66%. Over 30,000 healthcare professionals across the country have attended sepsis webinars and courses to elevate their practice. Sepsis Alliance is the convener of Sepsis Innovation Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder public/private collaborative dedicated to innovations in sepsis diagnosis and management. Sepsis Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a GuideStar Platinum Rated charity. For more information, please visit www.sepsis.org and connect with Sepsis Alliance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn at @SepsisAlliance
For more information on this release, please contact:
Alex Colvin
Director, Marketing and Communications
Sepsis Alliance
*Note: This piece was initially released to PRWeb on Monday, September 11, 2023.
