Sepsis, an infection of the blood, can come about in a number of ways. The most extreme versions of this infection can actually take a life in less than 72 hours after symptoms begin to appear. Even the more “mild” versions can have a deadly toll on already sick and aging patients.
Unfortunately, sepsis continues to rage through nursing homes across the nation. The death toll and impact will only continue to grow if no efforts to understand and combat this issue happen.
What causes sepsis?
KHN discusses the avoidable issue of sepsis in nursing homes. Most of these infections stem from bedsores, which often happen due to a lack of proper staffing and care in the first place. Bedsores typically form when a victim remains immobile for prolonged periods of time. Sometimes they can form in as little as a few hours, while other times, it may take days.
Though some bedsores happen in spite of proper precautionary methods, many happen because staff simply does not help the victim move around often enough.
Bedsores can infect all the way down to the bone. These deep infections create the perfect environment for sepsis to take hold. The treatment for sepsis is often painful and involves harsh antibiotics and other treatments that a victim often has to travel to a hospital to get.
Even with treatments, a large number of sufferers end up dying within a few weeks due to sepsis or complications from the infections.
A high rate of impact
A federal report found that sepsis lands patients in the hospital more often than any other condition, and that cases ending in fatalities happen at a much higher rate compared to other conditions, too. It is a problem that needs immediate addressing for the safety and health of all residents.