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September 23, 2020

Archived: Shedding Light on Sepsis

Sepsis is the body’s overactive and extreme response to an infection. It’s unpredictable, can progress rapidly, and affects more than 1.7 million people in the United States each year. Without prompt treatment, it can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. NIGMS supports state-of-the-art sepsis research, including the development of rapid diagnostics and new therapeutics. September is Sepsis Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting a few resources that offer more information about this condition.

Our infographic provides details at a glance on basic statistics and the future of sepsis research. It’s also available in Spanish.

For a thorough overview, check out our fact sheet, available in both English and Spanish. It answers some common questions and discusses the kinds of sepsis research that NIGMS supports. You can find more information on causes, risks, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sepsis webpage. In addition, they offer educational materials for patients and health care professionals, including brochures, fact sheets, and an interactive quiz.

A CDC graphic of a crowd of people with the text, “Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Get ahead of sepsis Credit: CDC.

About the Author

Abbey Bigler-Coyne

Abbey Bigler

Abbey is a science writer who enjoys making important biological science and public health information accessible to everyone.