An international survey of doctors shows there's widespread confusion concerning sepsis, the deadly form of blood poisoning that kills 1,400 people globally every day.
Doctors say the condition is difficult to diagnose because of the range of symptoms.
They said such a definition would help to improve treatment of the condition, and prevent deaths. A universal definition would be a vital first step in aiding the medical community in effective management of sepsis. More than 1,000 doctors in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain and the United States took part in the poll that also found the overwhelming majority felt that sepsis was among the most challenging conditions they could treat. Patients are usually given antibiotics but there's no internationally recognized protocol for treating the escalating symptoms.