Innovation
Learn more about
the active role
the Feinstein
Institute plays in
sepsis advocacy
and awareness.
Visit 4healthier.
me/NWSD-
sepsisadvocates.
Shifting Perceptions
Northwell Health
channels resources
and energy to raise
national awareness
for sepsis, presenting
at national public
forums, including
the World Sepsis
Congress, and
crafting educational
public service
announcements with
the help of the Rory
Staunton Foundation
for Sepsis Prevention.
The eˆorts of the Northwell Health Sepsis Task
Force, combined with research conducted by the
Feinstein Institute, have created an organization-
wide system for sepsis prevention and saved
thousands of lives.
Sepsis is a life-threatening, often body-wide immune system reaction to an
infection, typified by symptoms such as fever, swelling, pain, fast heart rate,
difficulty breathing, chills and disorientation. In advanced stages of sepsis
— known as severe sepsis and septic shock — tissue is damaged and organs
deteriorate. Organ failure and loss of life are possible if the condition is not
swiftly diagnosed and treated.
Se•ing the Standard
One of the inherent issues with managing sepsis is that its symptoms are
often incorrectly attributed to other conditions. Delayed treatment and the
serious nature of sepsis contribute to the loss of 500,000 lives annually,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Feinstein Institute researchers have long examined sepsis and have identified
some early signs of the condition. The Northwell Health Sepsis Task Force, led
by Martin Doerfler, MD, has taken this work a step further and established
a new approach for managing sepsis cases. Now, incidents are identified
systematically, and medical professionals at Northwell Health follow a
standardized sepsis treatment protocol based on rapid assessment of signs
of organ injury. Rapid response, including administering fluids and antibiotics
immediately upon diagnosis, opens a vital window of opportunity for
providers to save lives before organs fail.
Current sepsis-related research being conducted at the Feinstein Institute is
moving beyond diagnosis and early treatment protocols to focus on relieving
sepsis symptoms. It is the team's hope that their work will help stem the tide
of lives lost to sepsis and improve quality of life for survivors.
For more information about sepsis research, visit
4healthier.me/NWSD-sepsis.
A STRATEGY
Against Sepsis
FeinsteinInstitute.org
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