The #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis campaign and the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP) will be working together in future.The aim of the intensified international collaboration is to raise awareness of sepsis among the population and in the healthcare system in both countries. By pooling expertise and resources in the coming years, both campaigns aim to strengthen their efforts to reduce sepsis mortality and improve care in Germany and Switzerland.

Zurich, 11. September 2024 JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e.V., the #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis campaign

Swiss Sepsis Program together with the #DES partners Sepsis Foundation, SepsisDialog of the University Medicine Greifswald, Deutsche Sepsis Hilfe e.V. and the German Sepsis Quality Alliance

Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. This is a life-threatening overreaction of the body to an infection. Despite its high relevance, it is still too little known to the public and the healthcare sector.
The cooperation between #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis and the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP) aims to overcome this information deficit. The SSP is run by renowned university hospitals and funded by the Swiss Federal Commission for Quality in Health Care (EQK).

Together against sepsis

“The partnership with the Swiss program enables us to intensify the exchange of knowledge and best practices across national borders. We are convinced that we can make a significant contribution to sepsis knowledge through this close collaboration.
Together, we can continue to raise awareness of this life-threatening disease among the general public and healthcare professionals,” says Ruth Hecker, Chairwoman of Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e.V. and initiator of the #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis campaign.
The Swiss side also welcomes the collaboration: “With #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis, we have gained a strong partner that is just as committed to the education and prevention of sepsis as we are. Together, we will join forces to improve the understanding of sepsis in both Switzerland and Germany and to further promote early detection,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. med. Luregn Schlapbach, co-initiator of the Swiss Sepsis Program.

Recognizing sepsis together

Sepsis occurs when the body’s own defences are no longer able to prevent the spread of a local infection and the pathogens enter the bloodstream. The body reacts by activating the defense systems, especially the immune and coagulation systems. However, this not only destroys the pathogens, but also the body’s own organs, such as the lymph nodes. B. Lungs, heart and kidneys are damaged. This leads to septic shock and multiple organ failure.

Many cases are preventable

Many of the cases of illness and death are avoidable through prevention, early detection and timely treatment – which is why the #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis campaign has been raising awareness of sepsis since 2021. On World Sepsis Day on 13th of September the joint partnership starts.
“We wish our colleagues from the Swiss Sepsis Program a good start and are delighted to be able to support the program with our expertise and materials,” says Ruth Hecker, looking forward to the future collaboration. “The wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented, but it does need to do the rounds of Switzerland, Germany and the world to bring sepsis knowledge into every living room,” adds sepsis expert PD Dr. Christine Thurnheer from Inselspital Bern. A special feature of the Swiss program is the translation into the local non-German languages.
Cooperation with other countries is also being established.

About the #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis campaign

The campaign #DeutschlandErkenntSepsis was initiated by Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e. V. Together with its partners the Sepsis Foundation, SepsisDialog of Greifswald University Medicine, Deutsche Sepsis Hilfe e. V. and the German Sepsis Quality Alliance, the campaign educates the public and healthcare professionals about the prevention, detection, treatment and aftercare of sepsis. The campaign receives funding from the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and is supported by numerous friends and funding partners. (www.deutschland-erkennt-sepsis.de)

About the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP)

The national implementation program “Sepsis”, funded by the Swiss Federal Quality Commission (EQK), aims to improve awareness, early detection, treatment and follow-up care of sepsis. This is the implementation of the Swiss National Action Plan on Sepsis. The aim is to reduce the burden of disease caused by sepsis in Switzerland and to improve support for affected patients and their families. The program is jointly managed by the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Insel Gruppe AG and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV). It will initially run from September 2023 to December 2028 (www.sepsis.ch).