[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 134 (Thursday, September 18, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S5798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 568--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2014 AS 
                  ``NATIONAL SEPSIS AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. SCHUMER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 568

       Whereas sepsis is a medical condition resulting from an 
     immune system response to an infection;
       Whereas the overwhelming flood of immune chemicals released 
     into the blood to fight an infection can impair blood flow, 
     injuring organs;
       Whereas sepsis is a serious community-acquired infection 
     and a leading cause of death in the United States;
       Whereas in severe cases of sepsis, a patient can experience 
     a drop in blood pressure, a weakened heart, and septic shock, 
     causing potentially fatal multiple organ failure;
       Whereas approximately 1,000,000 individuals in the United 
     States are infected with sepsis each year;
       Whereas sepsis has killed over 4,000,000 individuals in the 
     United States between 2004 and 2014;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     estimates that approximately 50 percent of individuals 
     infected with sepsis die, accounting for more deaths in the 
     United States than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and AIDS 
     combined;
       Whereas according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
     Quality, sepsis is the most expensive cause of 
     hospitalization in the United States, with an annual cost of 
     $24,000,000,000;
       Whereas the number of sepsis deaths is on the rise in the 
     United States;
       Whereas an article in the Journal of the American Medical 
     Association reports that more than 80 percent of individuals 
     who die from sepsis arrive at the hospital with sepsis;
       Whereas early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment can 
     prevent sepsis fatalities; and
       Whereas September 2014 is an appropriate month to designate 
     as ``National Sepsis Awareness Month'' to raise awareness of 
     sepsis and encourage educating patients, families, health 
     care professionals, and government agencies on the importance 
     of early detection as the key for patients to survive sepsis: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates the month of September 
     2014 as ``National Sepsis Awareness Month''.

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