You may of heard the sad news of Oscar-winning actress Patty Duke dying on Tuesday.
The cause of her death was sepsis, and the announcement was a “major milestone” for this little-known but common condition, according to Thomas Heymann, executive director of the Sepsis Alliance.
Speaking to the Huffington Post, he explained that the more people are aware of this condition, the better the likelihood of saving their own or a loved one’s life.
“The fact that they said Patty Duke’s cause of death was sepsis is relatively new,” Heymann said. “It very often would have been left as a complication of surgery or an infection, but it’s not a complication — it’s sepsis.”
While most people can fully recover from sepsis, others are left with permanent organ damage or missing limbs due to amputation.
But despite this, fewer than 50% of Americans have even heard of sepsis. Which is particularly worrying given that it’s on the rise.
So how do you spot sepsis?
The CDC has published a handy factsheet breaking down the signs of sepsis into a simple acronym.
Sepsis is treatable by addressing the initial infection, but delays in treatment decrease survival.
Therefore, if you suspect you have sepsis — perhaps after a surgery, or because of a prior infection or wound that isn’t healing well — tell your doctor you think you may have sepsis, the CDC advises. Your life could depend on it.
“If you get sepsis, you have a higher chance of dying than if you have a heart attack, stroke or trauma,” Craig Coopersmith, professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, said. “There is no question that increasing awareness of sepsis would save lives.”
For more information about sepsis, read the CDC factsheet — it could just save your life.