The bright spot is that the sepsis mortality rate declined in September and could be trending downward. Mammograms and colonoscopies, for example, are much lower than normal. People have been reluctant to come to the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic for care, particularly preventative measures like cancer screenings. The prevailing theory is that sepsis deaths are up because people are taking too long to get care when they get sick or experience symptoms, Adams said. "When people get to that phase, it gets a little more difficult to stop the progression of the sepsis process," Adams said. Sepsis deaths are on the rise at El Camino Health, where patients are showing up sicker than everīy Kevin Forestieri / Mountain View Voice Physicians are now learning that it's probably okay to give fluids to sepsis patients, he said. Adams said there was some early reluctance in providing fluids to sepsis patients who also had COVID or pneumonia, fearing it would lead to pulmonary edema - also known as wet lung. While the uptick in sepsis deaths is caused in large part by patients not showing up at the hospital before it gets worse, the hospital has made some adjustments to better treat those suffering from sepsis.
Those numbers now exceed pre-pandemic levels, Adams said. Hospital officials reported 16,386 visits to the emergency department between July and September of this year, 31% more than anticipated. High fever, lightheadedness from low blood pressure, night sweats and difficulty breathing are all early warning signs, and Adams encouraged those experiencing the symptoms to go to the doctor.Ĭontrary to earlier phases of the pandemic, the number of people showing up in the emergency room has spiked in recent months, and the people who are showing up are sicker than usual. This doesn't bode well for sepsis cases, where early detection and treatment can be a life-saver. Sepsis mortality rates, benchmarked against similar hospitals, are above El Camino's target for the year.
Adams said the body's immune system overreacts to the infection at that point and begins to attack the body, causing organ damage and in some cases leading to death. The condition often arises from things like a urinary tract infection, pneumonia and even COVID-19, and typically can be treated with antibiotics, fluid treatment and blood pressure maintenance.īut when symptoms worsen and sepsis enters the inflammatory phase, that's when treatment get more complicated. Mark Adams, El Camino's chief medical officer. Sepsis deaths are unfortunately on the rise across the country, said Dr. In August, that amounted to 10 deaths - roughly one-third of all deaths at the hospital that month - making it a serious concern for hospital leadership.
But more and more patients are arriving with sepsis that has progressed far enough that it's difficult to reverse, with widespread inflammation damaging internal organs.ĭepending on the month, upwards of 12% of patients with sepsis have died at El Camino Hospital. The life-threatening condition, caused by infections, has a high survival rate when it's treated during the early stages of the illness. Courtesy El Camino Health.Įl Camino Health officials are concerned about a growing death rate among patients who show up at the hospital with sepsis, which has increased steadily over the last year and significantly boosted mortality rates. Sepsis deaths are up at El Camino, which hospital officials say is due to delayed care.
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