Sepsis is an illness that affects nearly 50 million people worldwide each year, with around 11 million deaths attributed to the condition. In the United States, at least 1.7 million adults in the US develop sepsis annually, and nearly 270,000 die as a result, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says. It affects 245,000 people in the UK each year, with around 48,000 deaths, according to the UK Sepsis Trust. World Sepsis Day commemorated on 13th September every year, strives to raise global awareness of the life-threatening condition. The day is seen as “an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against sepsis,” the Global Sepsis Alliance says. Here is everything you need to know about sepsis: What is sepsis? Sepsis Research says when the condition strikes, the immune system “overreacts” and begins to attack the infection and everything else around it “including the body’s own tissues and organs.” “Any type of infection — bacterial, viral or fungal — can lead to sepsis,” it adds. When sepsis occurs, it can cause inflammation and cause blood clotting around the body, if it does not get treated, it can result in death, organ failure and tissue damage, CDC says. Sepsis cannot be caught from another person, the NHS explains. What are the symptoms? The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains that the condition is a “medical emergency,” so if you think a person is exhibiting signs of sepsis or if you are showing signs – make sure you call 999 or go to the emergency room immediately. According to WHO, common signs and symptoms include: • Fever or low temperature and shivering • Confusion • Difficulty breathing • Clammy or sweaty skin • Extreme body pain or discomfort • High heart rate, weak pulse or low blood pressure • Low urine output Symptoms in children include: • Fast breathing • Convulsions • Pale skin • Lethargy • Difficulty waking up • Feeling cold to touch What are the causes? The Mayo Clinic says any type of infection can lead to sepsis and those that more commonly cause the condition include infections of: • Lungs, such as pneumonia • Kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system • Digestive system • Bloodstream • Catheter sites • Wounds or burns “Sepsis often presents as the clinical deterioration of common and preventable infections such as those of the respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinary tract, or of wounds and skin. Sepsis is frequently under-diagnosed at an early stage - when it still is potentially reversible,” the Global Sepsis Alliance says. Who is most at risk? The people most at risk of the condition, according to Mayo Clinic, are: • People with lower immune response, such as those being treated for cancer • People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). • People with chronic diseases such as diabetes kidney disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). • people who are in intensive care or longer hospital stays. • People over the age of 65 • Infants How many cases are there globally? The WHO says a scientific publication estimated that in 2017 there were 48.9 million cases and 11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide, which accounted for almost 20 per cent of all global deaths. That same year, almost half of all global sepsis cases occurred among children with an estimated 20 million cases and 2.9 million global deaths in children under 5 years of age. How can it be prevented? The Global Sepsis Alliance says the best to to avoid sepsis is by preventing infection. This can be done by undergoing vaccinations, ensuring that you only come into contact with clean water, washing your hands properly and if you are giving birth - making sure it is in a clean and sterilised environment. Can sepsis be treated? Sepsis can be treated with appropriate treatment such as antibiotics – this should be given as soon as possible. The CDC says sometimes “surgery is required to remove tissue damaged by the infection”. “Antibiotics are critical tools for treating life-threatening infections, like those that can lead to sepsis,” the CDC adds. Read More 5 things everyone needs to know about eczema 13 potential cancer symptoms you should get checked out How can I improve my teenager’s low mood? Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor says he’s ‘asymptomatic’ after end-of-life diagnosis Nine hours of parallel surgery: how Britain’s first womb transplant was carried out Bursts of activity that make you huff and puff ‘linked to reduced cancer risk’

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A Florida man who recently dropped all legal appeals was executed Thursday for the 1988 murder of a woman who was sexually assaulted, killed with a hammer, and then set on fire in her own bed. James Phillip Barnes, 61, was pronounced dead at 6.13pm following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke. Lying on a gurney, Barnes appeared to already have his eyes shut when the curtain was opened for witnesses. He didn't respond when prison officials asked if he had a final statement, and he remained motionless except for breathing for about 10 minutes until that stopped. A doctor then pronounced him dead. The 61-year-old inmate was sentenced to death for the murder of nurse Patricia “Patsy” Miller. It was the fifth execution in Florida this year. One of the victim's siblings, Andrew Miller, witnessed the execution and said he came to remember his sister. “I did not come here to watch someone die. I came here to honor our sister, Patricia Miller,” he told reporters afterward. “No one should live in fear within the safety of their own home. No woman, no child, no animal should have that fear. We did.” Barnes was serving a life sentence for the 1997 strangulation of his wife, 44-year-old Linda Barnes, when he wrote letters in 2005 to a state prosecutor claiming responsibility for killing Miller years earlier at her condominium in Melbourne on Florida’s east coast. Barnes represented himself in court hearings where he offered no defense, pleaded guilty to killing Miller and did not attempt to seek a life sentence rather than the death penalty. Miller, who was 41 when Barnes killed her on April 20, 1988, had some previous unspecified negative interactions with him, according to a jailhouse interview he gave German film director Werner Herzog. “There were several events that happened (with Miller). I felt terribly humiliated, that’s all I can say,” Barnes said in the interview. When he pleaded guilty, Barnes told the judge that after breaking into Miller’s unit, “I raped her twice. I tried to strangle her to death. I hit her head with a hammer and killed her and I set her bed on fire,” according to court records. There was also DNA evidence linking Barnes to Miller’s killing. After pleading guilty, Barnes was sentenced to death on 13 December 2007. He also pleaded guilty to sexual battery, arson, and burglary with an assault and battery. Barnes killed his wife in 1997 after she discovered that he was dealing drugs. Her body was found stuffed in a closet after she was strangled, court records show. Barnes has claimed to have killed at least two other people but has never been charged in those cases. Barnes had been in and out of prison since his teenage years, including time served for convictions for grand theft, forgery, burglary and trafficking in stolen property. In the Miller case, state lawyers appointed to represent Barnes filed initial appeals, including one that led to mental competency evaluations. Two doctors found that Barnes had symptoms of personality disorder with “borderline antisocial and sociopathic features.” However, they pronounced him competent to understand his legal situation and plead guilty, and his convictions and death sentence were upheld. After DeSantis signed the inmate’s death warrant in June, a Brevard County judge granted Barnes’ motion to drop all appeals involving mitigating evidence such as his mental condition and said “that he wanted to accept responsibility for his actions and to proceed to execution (his death) without any delay,” court records show. Though unusual, condemned inmates sometimes don’t pursue every legal avenue to avoid execution. The Death Penalty Information Center reports that about 150 such inmates have been put to death since the US Supreme Court reaffirmed the death penalty as constitutional in 1976. The Florida Supreme Court accepted the Brevard County ruling, noting that no other motion seeking a stay of execution for Barnes had been filed in state or federal court. In the Herzog interview, Barnes said he had converted to Islam in prison and wanted to clear his conscience about the Miller case during the holy month of Ramadan. “They say I’m remorseless. I’m not. There are no more questions on this case. And I’m going to be executed,” Barnes said. Read More Grieving families confront Pittsburgh synagogue shooter at death penalty sentencing Singapore executes third prisoner in just 8 days. What explains this fresh wave of death sentences? Robert Bowers killed 11 in a Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. A jury ruled that he deserves death

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