One of the more challenging aspects of sepsis is that it can be contracted by anyone, and in a myriad of ways. And, while the symptoms are not always immediate clear, the outcome can prove to be fatal.

In July 2015, Kirsten Lavine entered hospital to undergo a diagnostic hysteroscopy. Instead of recovering normally from the basic day surgery, she developed severe sepsis and nearly died. This heartfelt account, written with tenderness, insight and even moments of humor, detailing her resolute journey on the road back to wellness.

A Measure of Light is in part a call to raise awareness about the life-threatening potential of sepsis, while championing the importance of taking charge of one’s recovery and following the path of healing that is right for you. It is intended both to educate and to provide support for others who have had similar experiences, and to inspire people to live life to their fullest potential. 

A Measure of Light has been endorsed by the UK Sepsis Trust and as ‘an engaging and informative read…a valuable resource for health care professionals, while offering hope and encouragement to other survivors and their families.’

'A Measure of Light is a very informative and emotional book by a sepsis survivor. It provides a detailed insight into the nature of this terrible disease, and is encouraging not only for those affected and their relatives, but also for health care professionals', says Marvin Zick, General Manager of the Global Sepsis Alliance. 

A Measure of Light will be published on September 7th, and there will be a launch event on World Sepsis Day (September 13th) at the Royal United Hospitals, Bath, UK. The book will be available to buy on Amazon.co.uk, and further information can be found here. Kirsten plans to give a number of talks to promote the book and share her experiences of surviving sepsis. Please contact her directly for further information.

Kirsten Lavine is a UK-based writer, teacher, and oral historian. She has written or been involved with various oral history publications, including: Bear in Mind: Stories of the Troubles, Yarn Spinning, Twin Spire Life, From Baltic Sea to Baltic Wharf and Hineni: Life Portraits from a Jewish Community.

In exactly two weeks, on September 12th, 2017, the Global Sepsis Alliance and the World Health Organization will host the WSC Spotlight: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis. The WSC Spotlight is a free online congress in the style of the 1st World Sepsis Congress last year, but focuses on a particular topic, which is maternal and neonatal sepsis this year. The opening session will focus on sepsis and its political and social implications, while the last session will give updates on sepsis in general. 

The congress will be held in English and is open to everyone with an internet connection.
For more information on program, speakers, time zones, and to register for free, please visit www.wscspotlight.org

In 4 distinctive sessions, 25 speakers from all around the world will share their knowledge on maternal and neonatal sepsis and give updates on sepsis in general in 10-minute presentations and keynotes. After each talk, the speakers will answer live questions from the audience. After the congress, all presentations will be made available to view on demand on the World Sepsis Congress YouTube Channel and as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts. 

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, new Director-General of the WHO, will open the congress on September 12th, 2017, one day before the sixth World Sepsis Day on September 13th. 

The GSA will hold its next WSD Supporter Meeting on September 26th at the ESICM Congress in Vienna, Austria. Main topics will be a summary of this year’s main GSA activities, the World Health Assembly Sepsis Resolution and how to make the most of it, as well as a look back on the 6th World Sepsis Day and the WSC Spotlight: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis, our joint free online congress with the WHO. 

• Tuesday, September 26th
• 12:15 to 02:15 pm (lunch break of ESICM)
• Meeting Room: BM5, Level 0
• Snacks will be provided
• Preliminary Agenda is available here

Participation is free of charge and open to everyone. If you want to attend, please write us a short email.

The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine is an association of individual persons. Founded in March 1982 in Geneva, Switzerland, ESICM is a non-profit making international association. ESICM supports and promotes the advancement of knowledge in intensive care medicine, in particular the promotion of the highest standards of multidisciplinary care of critically ill patients and their families through education, research and professional development.

Today, we are incredibly excited to launch the new website of World Sepsis Day, just in time for the upcoming 6th World Sepsis Day on September 13th. 

We hope you like it and are eager to hear what you think. 

We rebuilt the website from the ground up, including a completely new design, which makes it easier to navigate and find the things you are looking for. The prominent news section makes it possible for you to stay up-to-date on all relevant news on sepsis and our activities, such as the free online congress WSC Spotlight: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis on September 12th. The site also loads much faster, has a smaller footprint (less use of your costly data), and adapts to the screen size you are using, be it phone, tablet, notebook or desktop. There is also a reliable search function (magnifying glass at the top right) and we have overhauled the donation process, making it extra secure.  Speaking of security, the website is now completely encrypted. And there is much more, for example a more robust back-end and better anlytics for us without tracking you around the internet. 

If you have suggestions to further improve the website, or miss features and functionality, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Department of Emergency Medicine and the Academic and Training Affairs Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center are organizing the Red Sea Emergency Medicine "RSEM" 2017 Conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on October 16-18, 2017.

This year the conference is a joint meeting with the Global Sepsis Alliance - "RSEM-GSA 17".

RSEM-GSA 17 will be the first conference in Saudi Arabia addressing sepsis in a comprehensive way, including the challenges and future actions that can be undertaken against sepsis, a global health threat with a national impact.

“The Red Sea Emergency Conference aspires to be a successful, innovative and expanding biennial event that will attract healthcare professionals from both the region and worldwide” wrote Dr. Mwaffak Bashir, Chairman of the DEM at KFSHRC-J and the RSEM Director in his welcome note on the RSEM website.

Dr. Diyaa Nawar and Dr. Sameh Sejiney, Emergency Medicine Consultants and the Chairs of the Organizing Committee gave the following note to the featured delegates:

“Meet national, regional, and international leaders in the world of sepsis and shock from various medical specialties, societies, and organizations… great opportunity for learning and networking…outstanding pre-conference workshops… Emergency Medicine residency programs competitions… spectacular venue and city”

Find out more and register now.

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On July 10th, Tuscany Region approved a detailed 3-year plan to fight sepsis. During the press conference, Healthcare Counselor Stefania Saccardi said:

“Sepsis is one of the most dangerous global threats for the health of our citizens. We are here today not only to raise the level of awareness of public opinion but to launch a plan for reversing the increase in the numbers of deaths from sepsis”.

The plan of Tuscany Region involves all the relevant stakeholders from patients to general practitioners, emergency services and hospital departments. The plan is based on the World Sepsis Declaration by the Global Sepsis Alliance and the WHA Resolution. It defines six lines of interventions:

1. Spotting suspect of sepsis across the health care system by raising awareness and improving clinical practice
2. Improving diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in every heath care setting
3. Reducing delays of in delivering appropriate care
4. Building an integrated system for monitoring and surveillance
5. Creating an interplay between diagnostic and therapeutic stewardship
6. Improve the access to microbiological services

8,000 cases of sepsis are registered in Tuscany every year, with a mortality of 36 %. Maria Teresa Mechi, Division Director for the regional program against sepsis, said: “This plan is an important addition to our ongoing work which aims at reducing antimicrobial resistance and the incidence of healthcare associated infections”.

“If it is caught early” - said Riccardo Tartaglia, Chief Director of the GRC Patient Safety Center - “antibiotics can control the infection. If not, there is little doctors can do. Yet awareness of the condition is poor, meaning it is often mistaken for milder conditions; that’s why sepsis is one of the main challenges that our healthcare services are facing”.

The GRC Patient Safety Center and Regional Healthcare Agency (ARS) will carry out the plan together with an ad-hoc steering committee drawing on the endeavors and results achieved so far. Tuscany is the first regional healthcare service in Italy committing to win the fight against sepsis. The common hope is that others will follow this example.

Applications for the Junior Faculty and Trainees' (JFT) Platform of GSA Advance are closing on Sunday, August 13th, 2017. 
If you want to apply for GSA Advance, please do so soon by filling out the form here. 

Please also spread this opportunity to look behind the scenes and become involved in an important global player like the Global Sepsis Alliance within your network and among your colleagues and friends. 

Membership in the JFT Platform is open to everyone who is 5 years or less into their faculty position, or is a student, resident, or fellow. Junior Faculty & Trainees from all backgrounds and disciplines are welcome to participate. Participation is not limited to those with medical backgrounds.
 

GSA Advance is a coalition of sepsis supporters around the world with the aim of advancing the mission of the GSA. It includes several platforms, one of which is the Junior Faculty and Trainees' Platform. The purpose of this platform is to bring the future generation of sepsis champions to the forefront of GSA activities, broadening their scope and impact.

GSA Advance members will help advocate, represent, and promote the various goals and efforts of the GSA. They will have the opportunity to join the various initiatives of the GSA, contributing to World Sepsis Day, World Sepsis Congress, the activities on social media, fundraising, and much more. Members will have a unique access to the largest professional sepsis network worldwide and will gather valuable experience. The GSA can also issue a certificate and a letter of recommendation.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

The full invitation letter by Imrana Malik, GSA Advance Coordinator, can be read and downloaded here. Please feel free to share this post and the letter within your network.

America has a $ 27 Billion Sepsis Crisis, reports Bloomberg. Based on a new government report that was just released this June, sepsis cases tripled in the decade from 2005 to 2014 in the US, causing 1.5 million hospitals stays at the end of 2014.
However, this does not necessarily mean that sepsis cases are rising, as other research presented in May and funded by the Centers for Disease Control came to very similar numbers, but also found out they have been relatively stable since 2009. The alleged uptick in sepsis cases has two reasons, as reported by Bloomberg: Hospitals have incentives to code sepsis more often, and doctors are getting better at spotting it. 
This can be further improved by greater awareness - “The hope is that by alerting the public as well as general practitioners and other people who treat simple infections, that we can educate them about the signs and symptoms", says Chris Seymour, assistant professor of critical care and emergency medicine at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Source: Bloomberg News