A long investigative story by the Chicago Tribune shines the light on the dangers of sepsis infections in nursing homes across the country.

See: “In Illinois’ understaffed nursing homes, deadly infections persist from bedsores and common injuries that go untreated.”

The “Extra Extra” blog by Investigative Reporters and Editors summarized the report:

A joint investigation by Kaiser Health News and the Chicago Tribune revealed that thousands of older Americans in nursing homes are dying from preventable sepsis infections and offered readers a first-of-its-kind “lookup” that lets readers check infection violations and staffing levels at all 15,616 nursing homes in the United States.

The database tracks “infection related deficiencies and staffing levels for nursing homes that take Medicare/Medicaid. These factors are linked to an increased risk of sepsis infections and are reported to the federal government.

According to the database, two facilities were found to have been cited for the highest level of risk, “immediate jeopardy,” and several others cited for “actual harm.” Most citations involved bedsores or the failure to have or to follow an infection control program.

To check out facilities in Hawaii or elsewhere, go to the Look-Up database and enter the state and/or city or facility that you’re interested in.

It’s an excellent piece of reporting along with a useful presentation of data that should prove useful to many readers.