Category: Sepsis

You May Not Get a Second Chance to Save a Patient’s Life

Editor’s note – In this article for the DoctorWeighsIn, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) recounts his meeting with Dr. Ken Rothfield that led to the making of the video, “5 Keys to Reducing Sepsis.”

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

According to the CDC, each year in the U.S., more than 1.5 million Americans will develop sepsis and at least 250,000 Americans will die from sepsis. Although these numbers may be staggering, they may not hit home until sepsis strikes a loved one, a friend, or even yourself.

For me, it struck when Dr. Ken Rothfield and I met at a healthcare conference. Dr. Rothfield is Chief Medical Officer at Medical City Dallas, which is operated by the Hospital Corporation of America. He is also a member of the advisory board of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), a non-profit advocacy group that I founded more than seven years ago, and has been a strong advocate for and partner in patient safety. He told me at the conference, “I almost died from sepsis.”

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Early Detection of Sepsis Through Monitoring Saves Patient Lives

Editor’s Note: In this video interview, Dr. Ken Rothfield urges his fellow clinicians to monitor patients for sepsis. Says Dr. Rothfeld, “patient monitoring can alert you at the earliest possible moment when sepsis is developing.”

Clinical studies have found mortality is significantly reduced if septic patients are identified at early stages of the disease process. Anand Kumar, MD (Critical Care Medicine, Health Sciences Centre/St. Boniface Hospital, University of Manitoba) and his colleagues in “Duration of hypotension before initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy is the critical determinant of survival in human septic shock” found in their research that early detection and treatment of sepsis is akey to reduced morbidity and mortality:

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5 Keys to Reducing Sepsis

Editor’s Note: In this video interview, Dr. Ken Rothfield urges his fellow clinicians about the need for early detection and treatment of sepsis. Says Dr. Rothfeld, “I would like you to commit to to early detection and treatment of sepsis, because you may not get a second chance to save your patient’s life.”

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to release a video interview with Dr. Ken Rothfield. Dr. Rothfield is Chief Medical Officer at Medical City Dallas, which is operated by the Hospital Corporation of America. Dr. Rothfield is not only a doctor, but he developed sepsis following hernia surgery. So, Dr. Rothfield has the unique perspective of knowing sepsis from the point of view of a doctor and a patient.

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Deadly Sepsis a Global Priority but Dismissed by Majority of Health Systems Worldwide

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is pleased to partner with the Global Sepsis Alliance to increase awareness of the need for early detection and treatment of sepsis. Below is a press release by the Global Sepsis Alliance urging that sepsis be a global priority.

The Global Sepsis Alliance says not nearly enough is being done to curb sepsis, one of the most prevalent but misdiagnosed, deadly diseases, and designated a global priority by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017.

In spite of the unanimous resolution in May 2017 by the Executive Board of the WHO and the World Health Assembly to improve, prevent, diagnose, and manage sepsis through a series of actions directed at developed and developing countries around the world, the majority of countries still have not implemented comprehensive educational programs on sepsis prevention, recognition, and care.

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Sepsis Coordinator Network

Clinicians can save patient lives through education, earlier detection, and management by being more aware of sepsis. The Sepsis Coordinator Network is an online resource for all healthcare professionals who wish to improve sepsis care in their facilities. 

By Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN (Director of Content, Sepsis Alliance)

Sepsis and septic shock are getting more attention than ever before. Efforts from organizations like Sepsis Alliance have resulted in an increased rate of sepsis awareness among both the general public and healthcare professionals. However, increased awareness doesn’t save lives unless concrete action is taken. And this can’t be done without education about preventing, identifying, and managing sepsis.

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