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What is sepsis?
Student nurses share important ‘think sepsis’ message
Awareness to prevent a life-threatening condition A team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and educators at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham are fighting back against sepsis by launching a new screening toolkit to improve awareness of the lifethreatening condition. The sepsis screening action toolkit is part of the Trust’s THINK SEPSIS campaign to educate staff on the early-warning signs of sepsis. It’s just one of a number of ways in which the team are improving the sepsis care pathway. To launch the initiative, the team held Sepsis Awareness Week (3–7 April), which was opened by Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, who has greatly influenced the national and international sepsis agenda and is a clinical adviser on sepsis to NHS England. More than 160 clinical staff attended Dr Daniels’ thought-provoking lecture on the reallife impact of the condition, highlighting the importance of early intervention and treatment. Throughout the week, staff across the Trust were involved in a range of education activities, held information stands and took part in a tastebud-tantalising charity cake sale, won by nurse
Joanne Sayles, to promote the THINK SEPSIS ‘recognise, screen and treat’ message. Martin Biggs, Principal Antimicrobial Pharmacist leading on sepsis said: “The prompt treatment of sepsis saves lives. Patients identified with Red Flag sepsis need to be tackled with a smart and focused approach. “Antibiotics can save lives but if left unchecked or results not reviewed they can also do harm. By working together smarter, we can ensure patients are treated quickly and appropriately to save lives while ensuring we keep these precious medicines to treat future patients with life-threatening infections.” Kerry Holden, Senior Infection Control Nurse who co-ordinated the Sepsis Awareness Week activities said: “Sepsis is a medical emergency and if not recognised and treated in a timely manner there can be devastating consequences on both patients and their families. The good news is that with urgent basic care we can make a real difference between survival and death in sepsis, therefore we need you to ‘think sepsis’. “THINK SEPSIS is a concept that encourages every healthcare worker to consider a diagnosis of sepsis for every patient that presents to them
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that affects an estimated 150,000 people in the UK every year. It occurs when the body’s natural response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs. If not recognised early and treated quickly, sepsis can lead to septic shock, organ failure and even death. Approximately 44,000 people die each year as a result of sepsis – more than from bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. It’s estimated that a quarter of deaths could be avoided. Sepsis can be caused by a huge variety of common bacteria, which we all come into contact with every day without them making us ill. On occasion, the body responds abnormally to these infections and causes sepsis. Sepsis can develop following chest or water infections, problems in the abdomen like a ruptured stomach ulcer, or simple skin injuries like cuts and bites, and although there are certain groups in whom sepsis is more common – the very young and very old, people with multiple health issues, people with impaired immunity and pregnant women – it can occur in anybody, regardless of their age or health status.
Could it be sepsis? It can be hard to recognise sepsis as symptoms can be similar to flu-like symptoms – they come on very quickly and usually begin with a general feeling of being unwell.
Left to right: Kerry Holden, Dr Ron Daniels, Dr Manji and Martin Biggs
acutely unwell or with an acute deterioration in their condition. “The launch of the THINK SEPSIS campaign was a great start to our work to improve sepsis care and it would not have been possible without the time and efforts of the Infection Prevention and Control team, clinical educators and student nurses from the University of Birmingham; thank you!”
Symptoms of sepsis: ■ Slurred speech ■ Extreme shivering and muscle pain ■ Passing no urine (in a day) ■ Severe breathlessness ■ “I feel I might die” ■ Skin mottled or discoloured
If you suspect sepsis, seek medical attention right away.
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