Study claims sepsis disease causes one in five deaths
Kathmandu, January 17
Recent study showed that one in five deaths around the world is caused by sepsis, also known as blood poisoning.
As per the npr.org, the sepsis arises when the body overreacts to an infection. Blood vessels throughout the body become leaky, triggering multiple-organ failure.
The researchers at the University of Washington said the "alarming" figures were double previous estimates. Most cases were in poor and middle income countries, but even wealthier nations are dealing with sepsis, as per BBC.
As per the researchers, sepsis ultimately causes organ failure. Even survivors can be left with long-term damage and disability.
Bacteria and viruses that cause diarrhoeal infections or lung diseases are the leading triggers of sepsis.
It is surprisingly common in the United States: One prominent study estimates 1.7 million cases a year and 270,000 deaths. Sepsis in the U.S. can strike otherwise healthy people who get an infection that runs amok. Many other cases arise in the hospital, as reported by the npr.org.
"Often the underlying cause is something like lung cancer," said Dr. Kristina Rudd, the lead author of a study published Thursday in the Lancet. Those people may develop pneumonia, which in turn leads to a deadly case of sepsis. With this domino effect, "It can be really hard to sort that out," she says.
