Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    Why The Newly Proposed Sepsis Treatment Needs More Study

    The bodywide inflammation known as sepsis kills about 300,000 people in U.S. hospitals each year. Promising treatments have come and gone, warn skeptical doctors, who call for rigorous research.
    by Richard Harris Mar 30, 2017 4 minutes
    A well-regarded intensive care doctor in Virginia says he has had good success in treating 150 sepsis patients with a mix of IV corticosteroids, vitamin C and vitamin B, along with careful management of fluids. Other doctors want more proof — the sort that comes only via more rigorous tests.

    The astronomer Carl Sagan said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Last week, a physician made the extraordinary claim that he had an effective treatment for sepsis, sometimes known as blood poisoning.

    Sepsis is a bodywide inflammation, usually triggered by infection, and the leading cause of death in hospitals, taking 300,000 lives a year. So, even a 15 percent improvement in survival would save 40,000 lives — the number of Americans who die on the highway each year, or from breast cancer.

    , a well-regarded intensive care physician at the East Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., is the doctor with the extraordinary claim. As we , he says he has treated about 150

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
    Justice Thomas Decries 'Nastiness' And 'Lies' Against Him
    The Supreme Court justice told attendees at a judicial conference that he and his wife have faced "nastiness" and "lies" over the last several years and decried Washington as a "hideous place."
    NPR4 min read
    Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill, Sending Legislation To The House
    The Senate passed a bill designed to improve safety and customer service for air travelers, a day before the law governing the Federal Aviation Administration expires.
    NPR5 min read
    Why Writing By Hand Beats Typing For Thinking And Learning
    Researchers are learning that handwriting engages the brain in ways typing can't match, raising questions about the costs of ditching this age-old practice, especially for kids.

    Related