April 30, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 70 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page S2523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 175--SUPPORTING INCREASED AWARENESS OF SEPSIS AND THE 
       IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION

  Ms. BALDWIN (for herself and Mr. Blunt) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 175

       Whereas sepsis is a medical condition resulting from an 
     immune system response to an infection;
       Whereas the overwhelming response of the immune system to 
     an infection can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ 
     failure, and death;
       Whereas more than 1,700,000 individuals in the United 
     States develop sepsis each year;
       Whereas more than 270,000 individuals in the United States 
     die from sepsis each year, which is more than the number of 
     individuals who die from prostate cancer, breast cancer, and 
     HIV/AIDS combined;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     estimates that 1 in 3 patients who die in a hospital have 
     sepsis;
       Whereas, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research 
     and Quality, sepsis is the most common diagnosis for 
     inpatient hospital stays in the United States;
       Whereas sepsis is the most expensive condition treated in 
     hospitals in the United States, costing more than 
     $24,000,000,000 each year;
       Whereas sepsis is the number 1 cause of hospital 
     readmissions, generating more than $2,000,000,000 in costs 
     annually;
       Whereas more than 80 percent of septic patients are septic 
     upon admission to the hospital;
       Whereas mortality rates from septic shock increase by up to 
     8 percent for every hour that treatment is delayed;
       Whereas rapid diagnosis and treatment can prevent up to 80 
     percent of fatalities from sepsis; and
       Whereas the combination of early detection of sepsis and 
     appropriate interventions can significantly improve the 
     chances of survival for patients with all types of sepsis: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) is committed to increasing awareness of sepsis and 
     encouraging the education of patients, families, health care 
     professionals, and government agencies on the critical 
     importance of early diagnosis as the key for patients to 
     survive sepsis; and
       (2) supports innovative public-private partnerships and the 
     pursuit of innovative financing tools, incentives, and other 
     mechanisms to accelerate the pursuit of improved early 
     detection and appropriate intervention for patients with 
     sepsis.

                          ____________________