Define sepsis. Drawing a blank? You're excused for your ignorance. Fewer than half of all Americans have heard of this medical condition, a survey conducted last year by advocacy group the Sepsis Alliance found. But it contributes to as many as half of all U.S. hospital deaths, many of them preventable, according to a recent study by Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Part of the problem? Doctors aren't thinking about sepsis either. Sepsis is the body's out-of-whack inflammatory response to infection. Its symptoms can include a high fever or low temperature, elevated heart rate and difficulty breathing. Early recognition is key to treating it.
