SEPSIS AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

WHEREAS, sepsis is a potentially fatal system inflammation caused by severe infection, which attacks and may lead to shock and death; and

WHEREAS, sepsis requires immediate diagnosis and treatment in preventing death; and

WHEREAS, in 2005 sepsis was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. No tracking of statistics for sepsis-related deaths was done before; and

WHEREAS, young children and the elderly experience the greatest amount of sepsis-related deaths; and

WHEREAS, sepsis has contributed to half of all hospital deaths affecting 1 million hospitalized patients in the United States annually; and

WHEREAS, sepsis kills more Americans than AIDS, prostate cancer and breast cancer combined; and

WHEREAS, sepsis is the most expensive cause of hospitalization in the United States with an annual cost of $24 billion; and

WHEREAS, sepsis can be prevented with early detection and treatment:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will support a school nurse in every school to educate parents and students to signs and symptoms of infection when a child is exposed to injury and potentially life-threatening bacteria; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will promote sepsis awareness and education in schools, hospitals, home care and communities; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support legislation urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide educational information, awareness and to establish early detection protocols across the United States.