CK Birla Hospitals – CMRI organized the maiden comprehensive Sepsis Management Programme in Eastern India, in association with Indian Sepsis Forum, Hospital Infection Society of India, SEMI,WB chapter and ISCCM Kolkata Branch, on the occasion of World Sepsis Day on September 13.

This first-of-its-kind initiative enlightened the clinicians about ways to combat this life-threatening condition in holistic manner, experts shared their knowledge and spoke about the best practises to be adopted. The Basic Sepsis Life Support Programme (BSLS) was a compact one-day conference-cum-workshop that imparted clinical knowledge, management guidance and organisation skills to doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel so as to improve clinical
outcome.

The BSLS Programme included an in-depth review of sepsis along with its management and practical application required for dealing with patients suffering from this condition. This conference witnessed participation of delegates from various prestigious hospitals and institutes across India. The day-long programme consisted of interactive methods of teaching, learning accompanied by demonstrations and live work stations for the delegates, who were
taught the best approach to fight against sepsis.

Speaking about the workshop, Dr. Prema Guha, Chief Medical Services and Unit Head, CK Birla Hospitals- CMRI, stated, “Sepsis is a lethal disease which is rampantly killing people globally. Due to lack of proper research in this particular area of public health, not much could have been done so far. At our hospitals we follow strict protocol and adhere to our infection control policy. This ensures shorter and safer hospital stays for our patients leading to better clinical outcome."

Most importantly, it is essential to remember that sepsis is a complex condition where right treatment and  methodology should be followed. The Basic Sepsis Life Support Program (BSLS) is our humble effort to create a common platform for knowledge sharing and learning within the medical community, so that we are well-equipped to treat sepsis effectively.”Dr Guha said.

The BSLS programme was the brainchild of the Critical Care Unit. Commenting on the programme, Dr Arindam Kar, Director & HOD, Critical Care Unit, CK Birla Hospitals - CMRI , said, “India currently tackles 750,000 cases of sepsis every year, of which overall mortality rate in ICU patients is 12.08 per cent while patients suffering from critical stage of sepsis has 59.26 per cent. More than 90,000 people die every year in India due to sepsis, making it one of the most alarming causes of death in the country."

The patient outcome for sepsis is completely dependent on either the severity/stage of the disease or the underlying health status of the patient.Nearly all patients with critical sepsis require treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). This alarming situation can only be curbed by proper awareness and education among the critical care clinicians
dealing with sepsis on day to day basis,” Dr Kar said.

Highlighting the importance of this programme, Dr Debkishore Gupta, HOD Infection Control, Quality Head, CK Birla Hospital - CMRI, said, “With a population of 1.22 billion, today India is grappling with various health issues. One of them is management of illnesses like sepsis which is taking a toll not only in rural India but is also prominent in urban India. This fatal medical condition triggers due to human body’s response to an infection caused by micro-organisms invading the body and spreading to the bloodstream."

" There are typically four progressive stages of Sepsis namely - SIRS (Systematic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), SEPSIS, Septic Shock and MODS (Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome). However, early diagnosis and timely treatment can have a massive impact on patient’s survival and this message needs to be communicated to
the medical community as well as to the mass at large,” he said.

Every year World Sepsis Day is celebrated internationally on September 13 with awareness campaigns to facilitate more comprehensive outlook into management of sepsis. The BSLS programme was one such national level initiative which promised to mark the beginning of a more inclusive, updated and evidence-based approach to tackle the severity and life-threatening situations caused by sepsis. The success of this programme also paved the way for conducting similar courses across the country in order to bring in sepsis awareness among clinicians of India.