In response to the tragic case of Gabby Galbo, a five-year-old Monticello girl who unfortunately died from no early diagnosis of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which led to severe sepsis and septic shock, State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) sponsored legislation (SB 2403) that would require hospitals to implement evidence based procedures for the early recognition and treatment of patients with sepsis or septic shock.
The Illinois Senate passed the measure April 21 with the Illinois House following suit, passing it May 24. The legislation now heads to Governor Rauner.
“What happened to Gabby Galbo was an absolute and needless tragedy,” Rose said. “This legislation honors her and her family by improving the quality of care for all Illinoisans and sheds light on this deadly condition.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, sepsis is a progressive shutdown of the body’s organs and systems caused by systemic inflammation following infection that enters the blood or soft tissue. More than one million cases of sepsis occur each year and it kills more than 258,000 Americans each year, making it one of the leading causes of death in hospitals and the ninth leading cause of disease-related death overall in the United States. It kills more people annually than AIDS, prostate cancer, and breast cancer combined. For those who survive, it leaves thousands with life-changing aftereffects.
“This legislation requires hospitals to take that extra step that could save someone’s life,” Rose said. “Sepsis can happen to anyone, so Gabby’s Law is also creating more awareness of it and changing hospital protocols to improve the early detection and treatment of sepsis. I want to thank the Galbo family for their courage in bringing this issue to my attention.”
Mayo Clinic says that early treatment of sepsis, usually with antibiotics and large amounts of intravenous fluids, improves chances for survival.
“Early detection saves lives,” Rose said. “If we can prevent just one family from having to deal with the pain that the Galbo family has gone through, then this legislation will have honored Gabby’s memory well.”