Sepsis is an emergency condition which affects 245,000 people in the UK every year, claiming 48,000 lives annually. That’s five deaths an hour attributable to the condition. In spite of these alarming statistics, sepsis is treatable if caught quickly.
It is a condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs, with the immune system going into overdrive. It’s important to recognise whether it could be sepsis, and know the symptoms to look out for. Asking the question, ‘Could it be sepsis?’ has the potential to save a life.
Staff at Lister Hospital see on average 100 patients a month who have developed sepsis. There are many reasons why this may have happened. They may be acutely unwell or it may be because of an infection such as pneumonia or a UTI (urinary tract infection).
The winter months bring more people into hospital needing care, especially as a result of respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. It’s important to be alert to signs of people with infections feeling more unwell. Emily Nacu, Sepsis Clinical Nurse Specialist, says: “As the winter months are getting closer, we’re asking the public to think about any symptoms they may see in their loved ones who have an infection and to ask whether it could be sepsis.”
Ahead of World Sepsis Day on 13 September, the trust’s sepsis team was out and about at Lister Hospital helping staff and the public to get sepsis savvy, sharing online tools developed by the UK Sepsis Trust to raise awareness of the symptoms to look out for.
What are the signs of sepsis?
Adults
Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain
Passing no urine (in a day)
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you’re going to die
Skin mottled or discoloured
Children
A child may have sepsis if they:
- Are breathing very fast
- Have a ‘fit’ or convulsion
- Look mottled, bluish, or pale — on brown and black skin, colour changes may show on the inside of the forearms or palms
- Have a rash that does not fade when you press it
- Are very lethargic or difficult to wake
- Feel abnormally cold to touch
Call 999 or visit A&E if an adult or child has one of the sepsis symptoms and Just Ask: Could it be Sepsis?
Read more about the signs and symptoms of sepsis at the UK Sepsis Trust website.
