Act fast, save lives — and always ask ‘could this be sepsis?’ September is Sepsis Awareness Month! 

Approximately a 2-minute read plus time to watch/listen to podcast

Key takeaways:

• Today is the beginning of Sepsis Awareness Month.
• Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to infection and can lead to tissue damage, organ failure or even death if not acted upon quickly.
• Listen or watch The Wrap employee podcast to learn about the important work related to sepsis taking place across Michigan Medicine.

Today marks the beginning of Sepsis Awareness Month. Even though it is a year-round priority at Michigan Medicine, reminders across the organization for the month of September will emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment to save lives.  

In the spring, a newly formed sepsis team began working to educate staff about early identification and treatment of sepsis. Their goal is to ensure sepsis is recognized and treated, as it can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death if not acted upon quickly. 

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Anyone can develop sepsis and it is important that providers remain alert for symptoms that may indicate the condition.  

Key signs that could indicate a sepsis infection include the following: 

• Confusion or disorientation 
• Shortness of breath or fast breathing 
• Fever, shivering or feeling very cold 
• High heart rate 
• Extreme pain or discomfort 
• Clammy or sweaty skin 
• Decreased urine output 
• Lethargy (or sleepier than normal in children) 

For any patient that has the above signs/symptoms with a possible or known infection, ask yourself, “could this be sepsis?” 

Be on the lookout for sepsis facts shared throughout the month on our Employees @ Michigan Medicine Facebook page and digital signs across the organization. On World Sepsis Day (Sept. 13) the sepsis team will be greeting staff throughout the day. At the end of the month, you can test your sepsis knowledge with a quiz for a chance to win a prize!  

To learn more about Sepsis Awareness Month and the work the sepsis team is doing to educate staff, listen to this week’s episode of The Wrap employee podcast. It can be found via YouTube at the top of the page or an audio-only version is available via the media player below.  

Want to get into the Sepsis Awareness Month spirit? Zoom backgrounds are available for download (once you open the background, right click on image and save to your computer):

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