By Gina Bailey, BSN, RN
Infection Preventionist, Quality/Infection Control, Blanchard Valley Health System

Sepsis is a public health crisis unfamiliar to many people, even though 1.7 million are diagnosed every year, and sepsis is the number one cause of death in U.S. hospitals. Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection. It leads to over 350,000 adult deaths and almost 7,000 pediatric deaths annually. Sepsis is the number one cost of hospitalization and skilled nursing care at an estimated $62 billion annually.