In an opinion piece today in the Boston Globe, Ann MacDonald writes that the Rhode Island sepsis regulations, passed in June 2023 and going into effect this month, will save lives. MacDonald, whose mother died in a Providence hospital, shares her own experience and examines the Rhode Island protocols put into place after the relentless efforts of Tara Cirella, whose daughter Gianna died from sepsis, and numerous other families who played a pivotal role in making this life-saving legislation a reality.
The following excerpt is from MacDonald’s story:
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“For several days before my mother died in a Providence hospital, my father and I raised the alarm that she was deteriorating. Her doctor dismissed our concerns. “The surgery is healing well,” he said. “She will be fine.
My mother died of sepsis, which is a leading cause of death in hospitals. At least 350,000 American adults die annually of sepsis — more than lung, breast, and prostate cancer combined.
Although federal guidelines are in place to improve sepsis outcomes, only state regulations have been proven to save lives. That’s why I’m glad Rhode Island recently became the first state in New England to enact regulations to improve the recognition and treatment of sepsis. The law goes into effect this month.
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End Sepsis, an organization founded by Orlaith and Ciaran Staunton to honor their son’s memory and prevent further deaths, is working to ensure that additional states enact sepsis regulations. I hope other states will do so.”
Click HERE to read the whole piece.
