To prevent sepsis, use antibiotics judiciously : Dr Manisha Srivastava

An awareness program was organized by the Department of Anesthesiology at Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Center (BMHRC) to make doctors, nurses and other support staff aware about the sepsis.

Addressing the doctors and other staff present in the workshop, BMHRC Director Dr. Manisha Srivastava said that patients admitted in the hospital suffering from serious diseases are at higher risk of sepsis. To prevent them, it is necessary to use antibiotics judiciously. People who take antibiotics for seasonal diseases like cold, cough and diarrhea may develop antibiotics resistance in their body. Sometimes doctors also unnecessarily advise the patient to take antibiotics. If such patients need to be admitted to a hospital, antibiotics may prove ineffective. This makes them easily susceptible to sepsis. If sepsis is not controlled in time, many organs of the body can be badly affected. she said that along with doctors and support staff, students of nursing college and paramedical institute also need to be made aware.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sarika Katiyar, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, BMHRC, said that sepsis accounts for about 40-50 per cent of total deaths in the hospital. People who survive this disease are exposed to many other complications related to it. If doctors and hospital staff keep certain things in mind, patients can be prevented from sepsis. For example, washing or cleaning hands properly and to keep the wounds clean and cover them is important. It is also important to get the vaccines given at regular intervals. Efforts should be made to ensure that the infection does not spread from one patient to another in the ward.

The programme was attended by senior doctors from BMHRC and they discussed the possible steps to prevent sepsis in the hospital. A skid was also staged by the students of the Department of Anesthesiology and Paramedical Institute. during the session. Many senior doctors of BMHRC were present on the occasion.

Sepsis is a serious condition in which the body responds improperly to an infection. The infection-fighting processes turn on the body, causing the organs to work poorly. sepsis may progress to septic shock. This is a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can damage the lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs. When the damage is severe, it can lead to death.