13th is World Sepsis Day... "Early Diagnosis and Treatment are Important"

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine emphasized on the 12th, ahead of "World Sepsis Day" on the 13th, that early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent deaths caused by sepsis.

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World Sepsis Day, first established in 2012, is commemorated every year on September 13th to raise awareness about the risks of sepsis and the importance of its treatment.

Sepsis is a condition in which a systemic inflammatory response occurs due to infection, rapidly leading to dysfunction of major organs. Early symptoms include difficulty breathing, confusion or decreased consciousness, changes in skin color due to low blood pressure, and hypotension.

Every year, 50 million sepsis patients occur worldwide, with over 20% of them dying, and even survivors suffer from physical and mental aftereffects. Sepsis has a "golden time" window, making rapid recognition and initial resuscitation critical; however, awareness of the severity of the disease remains relatively low.

The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the "Sepsis Resolution" at the 70th World Health Assembly in May 2017, urging national-level management of sepsis.

Since 2019, the KDCA has been conducting policy research to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of sepsis patients in Korea and to secure evidence for sepsis management policies. Alongside this, research is being promoted to develop sepsis treatment guidelines tailored to domestic circumstances.

Also, to mark World Sepsis Day 2023, on September 4th, the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine hosted the "2023 World Sepsis Day Symposium," gathering opinions for the creation of sepsis treatment guidelines. Ji-Young Seo, President of the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine, stated, "This symposium was a meaningful occasion to review the current issues in sepsis management in our country and to reaffirm the importance of early detection and treatment of sepsis."

Jiyoung Mi, Commissioner of the KDCA, said, "Going forward, it is necessary to raise awareness of sepsis through multifaceted promotion and education, and to sustain public-private cooperation and efforts for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of sepsis." She added, "In particular, we expect that the development of sepsis treatment guidelines suited to Korea’s circumstances will contribute to preventing sepsis and reducing mortality through nationwide standardization of care."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.