It’s expected to be voted on this week by the full House of Delegates.
Frederick County Delegate Ken Kerr
Annapolis, Md (KM) A bill covering early recognition and treatment of sepsis has passed one hurdle in the Maryland General Assembly. Frederick County Delegate Ken Kerr, the sponsor of the legislation, says it made it out of the House Health and Government Operations Committee on Friday with a favorable vote. It will be sent to the full House of Delegates for a vote this week. .
“The bill says that hospitals are required to provide routine regular training for staff on how to recognize when a patient may be entering septic shock,” he says.
They’re also required, under this legislation, to have the ability to conduct the tests that are ordered, and medications on hand to treat the sepsis
“Urgent care centers and specialty hospitals will have to routinely train staff on how to recognize the signs of a patient who may be going into sepsis, and then transport them to an acute care hospital that’s capable of treating them,” Kerr continues.
He says sepsis is one condition that if diagnosed and treated early, the chances for survival are very good. “And conversely, every hour that you wait to delay treatment, there’s an eight percent chance of mortality,” Kerr says.
Sepsis results from the body’s overreaction to an infection. It can get to the point where bodily organs shut down.
The bill is called “Lochlin’s Law,” It’s named after a five-year-old Frederick boy who died in 2020 because he was not properly diagnosed for sepsis.
Delegate Kerr says this bill will be on the floor of the House of Delegates for a second reading on Tuesday, and will “most likely” be voted on by the House on Thursday. He says he’s confident it will pass the full House of Delegates. “If it gets out of committee, it should have no problem getting enough votes on the floor to pass it,”: says Kerr.
By Kevin McManus