Monday, May 18, 2015

NEW JERSEY LEADS THE NATION IN SEPTICEMIA (AN INFECTION OF THE BLOOD STREAM), ACCORDING TO THE CDC




MAY 18, 2015

Cancer and heart disease are the biggest killers in every state. No surprise there.

But a recent look at death certificates shows that once you set aside those two big killers, the states vary widely in the fatal illnesses their residents contract.
In New Jersey's case, it's septicemia, or blood poisoning.

          
     
 The "most distinctive" causes of death around the United States. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Kathleen O'Brien | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The map for "most distinctive" causes of death shows which state has the highest rate of various illness: Florida has a high rate of AIDS, while Louisiana still sees deaths from syphilis.

Others, such as black lung disease in three Appalachian states, confirm what is already known. The map doesn't show which state sees the most cases of any particular illness, but rather which state has the highest number of cases per capita.

Septicemia is an infection of the blood stream that can be causes by bacteria contamination of IV lines or catheters in hospitals, but can also result from the smallest of cuts on the hands or feet of people with diabetes. Those whose immune systems are weak are also vulnerable to it.

The researchers say New Jersey's result puzzled them, with no ready explanation for it. It was the only state with septicemia as its most distinctive cause of death.

The map was compiled for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Francis P. Boscoe of the New York State Cancer Registry and Eva Pradhan, of the New York State Department of Health.