By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer
WASHINGTON – It’s one of the most intractable killers you’ve probably never heard of: Sepsis, an out-of-control reaction to infection that can start shutting down organs in mere hours.
A new push is beginning for hospitals to be more aggressive in rolling out care at the first hint of trouble – even as scientists discover an intriguing clue to what may fuel the deadly cascade estimated to kill more than 200,000 people a year in the U.S. alone.
There’s no simple diagnostic test for sepsis, but there are warning signs if health providers pay close attention, says Dr. James O’Brien, a critical care specialist at Ohio State University Medical Center.