Sepsis Alliance Symposium: Sepsis in Immunocompromised Patients
Includes a Live Web Event on 08/01/2024 at 9:00 AM (PDT)
Description:
Date: August 1, 2024
Time: 12:00 - 4:00 pm ET / 9:00 am - 1:00 pm PT
While sepsis is an equal-opportunity killer impacting the sick, the well, and people of all ages, some groups are more likely to be affected. Those with a weakened immune system[1] are one of the groups more likely to be affected by sepsis. Individuals with any type of primary immune deficiency, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), cancer, organ transplants, or those on certain types of medications, like corticosteroids, are all considered immunocompromised.[2]
Sepsis is a leading cause of death, killing an estimated 350,000 adults each year in the U.S..[3] Immunocompromised patients are even more likely to die from sepsis. For instance, sepsis mortality amongst cancer patients is 43-55% higher than in patients who do not have cancer.[4] Immunocompromised patients may also present differently than patients who are not immunocompromised, due to a variable inflammatory response, leading to potential delays in diagnosis and treatment.[5] This creates additional complications, as the risk of mortality from sepsis increases by 4-9% for every hour treatment is delayed.[6]
It is imperative that healthcare professionals understand the unique risks that immunocompromised patients have regarding sepsis to efficiently and accurately assess and diagnose sepsis in immunocompromised patients.
To address this issue, Sepsis Alliance is hosting the 2024 Sepsis Alliance Symposium: Sepsis in Immunocompromised Patients. This live, virtual event, will cover critical topics related to sepsis in immunocompromised patients, including a special focus on patients with cancer and patients with HIV. Attendees will have access to the most up-to-date clinical knowledge and treatment recommendations for these populations. The key outcome of this half-day event is to establish the burden of sepsis in immunocompromised patients and improve clinical outcomes for immunocompromised patients affected by sepsis.
Covered topics will include:
- Infection and sepsis burden and risks in the immunocompromised host;
- Sepsis recognition and care considerations in the immunocompromised patient;
- Sepsis and acute respiratory failure in patients with cancer;
- The effect of HIV infection on the host response to bacterial sepsis;
- Outcomes of patients with or without HIV infection.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the activity, the learner should be able to:
- Identify the unique risks and burden of sepsis on immunocompromised patients;
- Summarize the steps to recognizing sepsis in immunocompromised patients;
- Restate the signs of acute respiratory failure in patients with cancer and sepsis;
- Summarize the relationship between HIV and the host response to bacterial sepsis.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Supporters:
Sepsis Alliance gratefully acknowledges the support provided by Gilead and Baxter for this symposium.
Andre Kalil, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, FCCM
Professor of Medicine, Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases Program
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Andre Kalil, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, FCCM, is a practicing physician, professor of medicine, and researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He is the Director of the Transplant Infectious Diseases Program at the University of Nebraska and has been the principal investigator for multiple randomized controlled trials in sepsis, pneumonia, and COVID-19.
Dr. Kalil has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2021 Scientist Laureate Award. He has been a peer-reviewer and editor for major medical journals and has published over three hundred PubMed indexed scientific articles.
Lisa Torres, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
New York Presbyterian – Weill Cornell Medical Center
Lisa Torres, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at New York Presbyterian – Weill Cornell Medical Center. She earned her MD from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and an MS in Clinical and Translational Investigation from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. After her internship in the Irish Health Service Executive, Dr. Torres completed residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, followed by a Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Dr. Torres is a clinician and translational investigator studying sepsis-induced immune suppression in critically ill patients. These “immune paralyzed” patients are at highest risk for opportunistic infections and mortality. Her work is focused on understanding alterations in immune cell metabolism and impaired cell signaling associated with immune paralysis. She is supported by an NIH K23 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the Houston Methodist – Weill Cornell Medicine Pilot Award, as well as the NIH Loan Repayment Program via the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Torres attends on both the Medical Intensive Care Unit and Pulmonary Consult Services at the New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell and Lower Manhattan Hospital campuses.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 3.6 contact hours.
Other healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance for 3.0 contact hours.
Medical Disclaimer
The information on or available through this site is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that information on or available through this site is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content on or available through this site does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare professional. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare professional regarding any questions about whether the information on or available through this site might apply to their individual treatment or care.