SEPSIS-NEEDS-MORE.EU

It’s time to take decisive action to improve survival rates among sepsis patients.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates^1,2

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection³ which is characterized by an imbalance between the pro- and antinflammatory process leading to a loss of immunological control. ^1,4,5

Each year, sepsis and septic shock claim millions of lives globally and constitute a substantial global health burden.²
According to a recent analysis by the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, there were 11.0 million sepsis-related fatalities and 48.9 million instances of sepsis globally in 2017.²

The sepsis incidence rate in Europe is estimated to be between 400 and 800 cases per 100,000 people.²

In Germany sepsis is the leading cause of infection-related
death and the third most common cause of death
with 85,000 deaths annually.⁶

Pathogens causing sepsis include:⁷
Gram negative: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
Gram positive: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes;
Fungi: Candida species (for nosocomial infections).

EARLY DETECTION IS IMPORTANT ^8,9

Despite this growing knowledge, sepsis management remains a challenging task for the emergency physicians, who have to deal with the initial detection of the condition and the early phases of treatment. Thus, it is of utmost importance that emergency physicians are aware of the recent advances in septic patient management.⁸
As sepsis requires timely treatment initiation, the need for early recognition and risk stratification has led to the identification of many prognostic markers that could help the emergency physician to implement an enhanced and more effective disease management.⁸

THE TIMING OF TREATMENT MAY PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE¹⁰

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel frequently serve as the primary healthcare responders for patients with sepsis. EMS professionals can administer various initial treatments before the patient’s hospital arrival, anticipating and initiating potentially life-saving interventions.⁹
Pre-hospital care is a window of opportunity to recognize and treat severe sepsis before arrival at the hospital. This time gain for initiating intervention by qualified pre-hospital service professionals (i.e EMS) could be even more significant for patients in remote areas where travel times to the receiving hospital are longer.⁹

The reduction in time to treatment has already been associated with a decrease in the rate of intensive care unit admissions, which may reflect the impact of initial care.⁹

A prompt recognition and faster treatment of sepsis and septic shock may reduce the incidence of avoidable deaths.¹⁰

The timing of treatment may play a critical role in treatment efficacy and patients with hyperinflammation should be treated as soon as possible.¹¹

Learn more about the importance of targeting immune response in sepsis patients

References:

Cao M, et al. Immune dysregulation in sepsis: experiences, lessons and perspectives. Cell Death Discov 2023;9(1):465.
La Via L et al. The Global Burden of Sepsis and Septic Shock. Epidemiologia 2024;5:456–478.
Singer M et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) JAMA 2016;315(8):801-10.
van der Poll T, et al. The immunology of sepsis. Immunity 2021;54(11):2450 – 2464. 5. Jarczak D, et al. Use of Intravenous
Immunoglobulins in Sepsis Therapy-A Clinical View. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(15):5543.

https://www.vdek.com/fokus/deutschland-erkennt-sepsis.html.
Riedel 2023
Gavelli F et al. Management of sepsis and septic shock in the emergency department. Intern and Emerg Med 2021;16:1649–1661.
Lazzarin et al. Sepsis management in pre-hospital care - the earlier,the better? BMC Emerg Med 2024; 24:220.
Seymour et al. Time to Treatment and Mortality during Mandated Emergency Care for Sepsis. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(23):2235-2244.
Nierhaus et al. Best‑practice IgM‑ and IgA‑enriched immunoglobulin use in patients with sepsis. Ann Intensive Care 2020;10(1):132.

The sepsis incidence rate in Europe is estimated to be between 400 and 800 cases per 100,000 people.²

In Germany sepsis is the leading cause of infection-related
death globally and the third most common cause of death
with 85,000 deaths annually.⁶

EARLY DETECTION IS IMPORTANT ^8,9

Imprint

Privacy Statement

Cookie Policy

Microorganisms typically enter the bloodstream from a localized source of infection, as anatomical barriers may be weakened (by surgery, catheters, ulcers).⁷

The pathophysiology of sepsis is complex when the pathogen evades the host’s defence mechanisms and continuously stimulates and damages host cells.¹

Many of the immune mechanisms initially activated to provide protection in the course of sepsis have become deleterious due to the inability to restore homeostasis, leading to persistent hyperinflammation and immunosuppression.¹

Until the early 2000s, it was widely recognized that the high mortality rate in sepsis was caused by multiple organ failure due to immune damage resulting from an excessive inflammatory response.¹

In recent years, a substantial body of evidence has shown that sepsis is characterized by concurrent dysregulation of the innate immune system and suppression of the adaptive immune system. This simultaneous imbalance and dysregulated persistence of pro- and anti-inflammatory responses can be fatal for the patient.¹