Blood poisoning kills 4,000 people a year in Switzerland
To mark World Sepsis Day on Sunday, the Swiss Sepsis Programme is raising awareness of the dangers of the disease. Sepsis can affect anyone – and if the symptoms go unrecognised, it can develop into a life-threatening emergency.
Every year, 20,000 cases of sepsis are recorded in Swiss hospitals, 4,000 of which prove fatal. According to the press release, the number of deaths is therefore comparable to that of breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.
In Bern, patient and family groups from the Swiss Sepsis Programme (SSP) have now founded the association Sepsis Switzerland to raise awareness of the disease and ensure better support. The association was founded in the run-up to World Sepsis Day. It aims to provide those affected and their relatives with a platform for discussion and advice.
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“Sepsis is always a medical emergency,” emphasised the association’s president, Anton Löffel, in a statement. The condition can lead to permanent physical and psychological impairments, as well as organ damage or amputations, he said.
If sepsis is suspected, medical help should be sought immediately. “Thinking of sepsis means saving lives,” said Löffel.
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