Sepsis Still Kills 1 in 5 People Worldwide – Two ICU Physicians Offer a New Approach to Stopping It

Sepsis begins with infection by bacteria or a virus. This panoramic ilustration inside a blood vessel shows rod-shaped bacteria, red blood cells and immune cells called leukocytes. By Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock

Can an otherwise healthy young woman die from what starts out as something akin to a common cold? The answer is, shockingly, yes, when certain telltale signs of a more serious problem go undetected.

Though many people haven’t even heard of it, sepsis – the body’s extreme response to infection – is the leading killer of hospitalized patients in the United States. Worldwide, sepsis is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths every year. Even among those who survive, many will never be able to return to work, and some won’t be able to return home from the hospital, requiring life support or ongoing critical care.