Feds give Pitt $8.4 million to study sepsis infections

Monday, October 02, 2006

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has received an $8.4 million federal grant to investigate the best method for treating sepsis infections.

A release from Pitt today said sepsis is among the top causes of death in the United States, affecting 750,000 Americans each year, of which 30 percent die. It also is one of the most expensive diseases, with a cost to U.S. hospitals of $17 billion each year.

The grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), one of the National Institutes of Health, will allow researchers to attempt to determine if there is a "golden hour" in the management of sepsis and septic shock "when a prompt, rigorous, standardized treatment regimen can be used to improve clinical outcomes and halt the cascade of events that often lead to organ failure and death," the release said.

Sepsis occurs when the body's inflammatory response overreacts to an infection, resulting in problems vital organs becoming compromised