Sepsis is an infection that probably results in a series of reactions within the body. These reactions can seemingly prove fatal if not detected early. However, distinguishing this infection from severe flu and winter vomiting disease appears as an uphill task. In an attempt to simplify treatment for sepsis, Adam Linder, a doctor and researcher at Lund University in Sweden found a substance within the blood which can tell whether a patient suffers from sepsis and how serious the case is.
During sepsis, the immune system allegedly overreacts to an infection, which leads to a series of events in the body. From the various outcomes, the blood vessels apparently begin to leak, which in turn results in blood pressure. This supposedly impairs the kidneys, heart and brain. Reportedly, sepsis is the tenth most common cause of death across the globe and the most common cause of death among already weak patients in hospital intensive care units.
In the course of the research, the expert laid hands on a biomarker in heparin-binding protein (HBP). This protein is possibly released by a certain form of white blood cells wherein amounts correspond to the immune system’s reaction. The great the reaction, greater may be the amount of HBP in the blood of a patient. Hence, measuring HBP can supposedly allow doctors to predict the severity of the infection and treat it accordingly.
Though sepsis is generally treated by antibiotics, fluids and oxygen, its markers allegedly provide a correct diagnosis.
