60d FRN Public Comment

March 29, 2022
Jeffrey M. Zirger
Lead, Information Collection Review Office
Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of Science
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H21-8
Atlanta, GA 30329
RE: Federal Register Docket No. CDC-2022-0011, Department of Health and
Human Services
Dear Mr. Zirger:
Sepsis Alliance is the first and leading sepsis organization in the U.S., working to save
lives and reduce suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care. Our organization
educates healthcare providers and the public about this devastating condition, and
advocates on behalf of the 1.7 million Americans diagnosed with sepsis each year –
350,000* of whom die (80,000 of these individuals represent discharges to hospice),
and many more of whom live with lasting after-effects, like amputations and PTSD.
We are grateful for the opportunity to provide comment on Federal Register Docket
No. CDC-2022-0011 regarding CDC’s Get Out Ahead of Sepsis (GAOS) campaign.
Sepsis, the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection, is one
of the most significant health complications that can result from antimicrobial
resistance (AMR). Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that
requires rapid diagnosis and treatment and can lead to tissue damage, organ failure,
and even death. Because AMR challenges the treatment of sepsis, the two must be
considered together. We believe that the collection of information from defined
cohorts of the consumer and healthcare provider populations as outlined in the
Federal Register notice will have practical utility in better understanding the depth
and breadth of knowledge of sepsis and its connection to AMR, and the need for
heightened stewardship.
Sepsis Alliance supports the public education goals of the GAOS to prevent and
reduce infections that lead to sepsis and to optimize healthcare quality improvement
aimed at enhancing early treatment and prevention. This early treatment includes the
administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics without delay, and the
subsequent consultation with an infectious disease specialist to promote responsible
stewardship. This approach has been shown to further improve outcomes.
In 2021, Sepsis Alliance conducted an online survey among more than 2,000 adults
ages 18 and older in the U.S. to assess understanding of AMR. Survey results
indicated:

In 2021, Sepsis Alliance conducted an online survey among more than 2,000 adults ages
18 and older in the U.S. to assess understanding of AMR. Survey results indicated:
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51% of U.S. adults are aware of the term antimicrobial resistance.
68% are aware of the term antibiotic resistance compared to AMR,
suggesting that the relationship between the two is not well understood.
Many adults can identify some of the descriptors and effects of AMR, yet
more than one-third state that they do not know what AMR is.
Many US adults are unable to identify potential complications of an infection
and only 56% know that sepsis is a potential complication.

Given this low awareness of AMR and its effects, there is great need for public education
on its impacts and prevention. Sepsis Alliance welcomes the opportunity to work with the
CDC to bring greater awareness to sepsis. For more information on our sepsis and AMR
efforts, please refer to our EndSuperbugs campaign materials or contact Kristin DeVries,
Director of Advocacy, at [email protected] for more information.
Sincerely,

Thomas Heymann
President & CEO
Sepsis Alliance

* Formerly, Sepsis

Alliance shared that approximately 270,000 people die from sepsis annually in the U.S., which did not
include hospice deaths. The new number reflects a combination of deaths in-hospital and deaths after release to hospice,
which paints a more complete picture of the burden of sepsis.