Could it be sepsis?

IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION BUT IT CAN SAVE LIVES!!!

Sepsis is potentially life-threatening condition, triggered by infection.

It's hard to spot, but it kills 44,000 people a year in the UK.

It can be easy to treat if caught early. The UK sepsis trust urgently needs funding to train the public and healthcare community on how spot sepsis more quickly.

How will I know?

In the early stages, it's often difficult to distinguish sepsis from flu. If you have or have recently had a fever, and develop any of the following symptoms, don't delay: Call 999 and say this is sepsis:

- Slurred speech or confusion

- Extreme shivering or muscle pain

- Passing no urine (in 18 hrs or a day)

- Severe breathlessness

- 'I know something's badly wrong with me'

- Skin that's mottled, bluish or very pale

If you suspect sepsis, try to ensure that the patient receives urgent medical attention. Don't be afraid to say 'I think this might be sepsis'. Remember, if it does turn out to be sepsis, getting the patient treated even an hour earlier might be the difference between life and death.

A person dies due to sepsis every 5 minutes. That's 18 people die dying during a normal football match. Equivalent to the capacity of a Premier League stadium each year.

SEPSIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY!!!

Patient with the most severe forms of sepsis are up to 5 times more likely to die than patients with a stroke or heart attack.

Caught early, the outlook is good for the vast majority of patients. It is crucial not to delay seeking medical attention.

International recommendations suggest that treatment should be started within 1 hour of sepsis being suspected. Research has shown that treatment with intravenous antibiotics and fluids works.

Sepsis is a life-threatening conditions that arises when body's response to an infection injures its own tissue and organs.

Sepsis is:

Infections which can give rise to sepsis are common, and include lung infections (pneumonia), water infections, infections in wounds, bites or the joints, and problems like burst ulcers.

Sepsis can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death, especially if not recognised early or treated promptly.

What can be done?

The good news is, life-saving treatment for sepsis is often relatively straightforward. Early recognition, and getting the basic treatments including antibiotics and fluids into the patient within the first hour, can halt the progression of sepsis and hugely improve outcomes for patients.

Antibiotics can cause harm if given inappropriately. Doctors should always prescribe antibiotics with caution. In the case of sepsis. however, they are the single most important life-saving measure.

Thank you for reading x