Action urged on blood poisoning

Many patients are at risk of sepsis

Doctors from across the globe have called for urgent action to cut the number of deaths from blood poisoning.

An estimated 1,400 people die from sepsis every day across the world.

But doctors at a major international conference in Spain said that figure could be cut substantially if the condition was recognised sooner and treatments improved.

Physicians have tried their best to tackle the scourge of sepsis

Professor Graham Ramsay

They have launched a campaign called Surviving Sepsis urging governments and healthcare providers to recognise the problem and allocate extra money to help fight it.

Sepsis covers a range of conditions caused by the body's response to an infection. If severe it can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

Infection risk

Sepsis can strike anyone but is most likely to develop from infection associated with pneumonia, trauma, surgery, burns or conditions such as cancer and Aids.

Four out of five patients who die from major injuries are actually killed by sepsis.

The problem was highlighted at the 15th Annual Congress of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine in Barcelona.

The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the International Sepsis Forum have all signed up to the campaign.

They are calling for action to cut deaths from sepsis by one quarter over the next five years.

The campaign has set out a five point action plan to improve management of sepsis.

It says there should be one single clear definition of sepsis to help early and accurate diagnosis.

It also calls for appropriate and timely use of treatments and universally-acceptable referral guidelines.

In addition, there needs to be education for clinicians about sepsis management and post-intensive care counselling for patients.

Professor Graham Ramsay, president of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, said: "We have the technology and resources today to treat most conditions and injuries yet infection, which has been killing people since history began, still defeats us.

"Physicians have tried their best to tackle the scourge of sepsis, but without greater government funding, education and awareness, their efforts can only have limited success."