House Resolution 12

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2024, AS SEPSIS AWARENESS MONTH, AND ENCOURAGING ALL CITIZENS OF THE STATE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS OBSERVANCE.

WHEREAS, September has been nationally recognized as Sepsis Awareness Month by Sepsis Alliance to bring awareness to sepsis, the body's life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death; and

WHEREAS, according to the CDC, sepsis affects 1.7 million Americans and takes 350,000 adult lives every year in the United States, more than from the devastating health crises of prostate cancer, breast cancer and opioid overdose combined; and

WHEREAS, each year, more than 75,000 children in the United States develop severe sepsis and 6,800 of these children die; and

WHEREAS, communities that have historically lacked access to high-quality healthcare, including some communities of color and individuals experiencing poverty, experience a disproportionate burden of sepsis-related suffering; and

WHEREAS, sepsis is the number one cost of hospitalization in the United States, at $62 billion annually; and

WHEREAS, sepsis survivors have a shortened life expectancy, are more likely to suffer from an impaired quality of life, and often experience after-effects such as amputations (14,000 per year in the United States) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; and

WHEREAS, sepsis is the second-leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality in the United States, and the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world; and

WHEREAS, the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance is steadily increasing the frequency of sepsis cases, and making effective sepsis treatment more difficult; and

WHEREAS, despite the severe danger and widespread occurrence of this illness, a survey conducted by Sepsis Alliance found that less than 15 percent of American adults can identify the symptoms of sepsis; and

WHEREAS, the signs of sepsis can be remembered with the mnemonic "TIME," which stands for "Temperature," "Infection," "Mental decline," and "Extremely ill"; and

WHEREAS, awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis along with rapid diagnosis and treatment of sepsis can save lives and improve outcomes for sepsis survivors, as the risk of mortality from sepsis increases by 4 to 9 percent for every hour treatment is delayed:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the month of September 2024, as Sepsis Awareness Month, and encourage all citizens of the state to acknowledge its observance.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Sepsis Alliance and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.