What Is The Difference Between Sepsis And Septicemia?

The report that one in every five deaths worldwide is being caused by sepsis is nothing short of alarming. Also known as blood poisoning, official estimates place the deaths caused by the illness at 11 million people annually.

This number is more than the deaths caused by cancer. The new analysis is, to date, the most comprehensive report yet about the status of the illness globally.

Why is this illness on the rise?

According to the University of Washington researchers, the unsettling number of deaths was twice the number of previous estimates. They also revealed that many of the cases occur in poor and middle-income nations. Even wealthy countries admit they are having a hard time too in dealing with the illness.

The new analysis, which was published in the Lancet, was based on the medical records made available by 195 countries. According to their data, around 49 million sepsis cases were recorded annually. Of this number, 85% of the cases happen in low and middle-income nations.

Those who are at higher risk of acquiring the disease were children. Data reveals that four out of ten sepsis cases were observed to affect children below the age of five.

Kristina Rudd, a researcher, and assistant professor stated that she has worked in rural sections of Uganda, and every single day, they would deal with sepsis cases. The professor also revealed that her colleagues who have also been treating patients in low and middle-income nations every day have been warning about the illness for years. They have been declaring in the past that sepsis will soon become a major problem. It now appears they are correct.

Professor Rudd said that while the steady rise of the deadly illness does not surprise her, she did not expect it to be twice the number of the previous estimate. In the UK, health agencies reveal that around 48,000 residents die each year.

Is it the same as septicemia?

The National Health Service stated that sepsis is the same as septicemia or blood poisoning. It is actually a life-threatening and crushing response of the body to infection that can cause tissue damage, organ failure, and in the worst cases, death.

It is also called the hidden killer because it can be difficult to detect. Some survivors of the disease are left with permanent disability and long-lasting damage.