Could it be sepsis? A question worth asking

September is Sepsis Awareness Month. World Sepsis Day falls on 13th September. Sepsis Australia builds the whole campaign around one line: just ask, could it be sepsis?

It can feel like an odd thing to say out loud at a reception desk or on the phone. It is also one of the most useful things a person can do, because sepsis is hard to recognise and easy to mistake for something ordinary.

What sepsis actually is

Sepsis is the body's response to an infection turning against the body itself. The infection can start almost anywhere such as: a chest infection, a urinary tract infection or an infected cut or a wound that has not healed properly.

Inflammation is a normal part of fighting an infection. In sepsis that response runs out of control and begins to damage organs.

Sepsis Australia reports that sepsis affects more than 90,000 Australians each year and claims more than 12,000 lives.

Why it gets missed

Sepsis does not always have an obvious cause. Early sepsis is difficult to recognise and sufferers may look generally unwell but it can rapidly escalate to critical illness. Sepsis Australia notes that it can resemble the flu, gastro or a urinary tract infection. If you or a loved one is unwell, feel worse than when previously ill or are showing some change in one or more signs of sepsis then take action.

The signs

Sepsis Australia lists these signs and symptoms in adults. One of them may be present, or several.

• Rapid breathing

• Rapid heart rate

• Confusion, slurred speech or disorientation

• Fever or shivering

• Muscle pain

• Not passing urine

• Discoloured skin

What to do about it

Sepsis Australia splits the advice in two.

If someone is generally unwell and shows one or more of those signs, get advice straight away. That matters most when they feel worse than they did earlier in the illness. Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222, which is open 24 hours, or book in with a GP. Ask the question directly: could it be sepsis?

If someone is seriously unwell, with changes across several of those signs, call 000 for an ambulance or go straight to the nearest emergency department. Ask the same question there.

Saying the word out loud helps

Asking "could it be sepsis?" is not being dramatic. It names the exact possibility you want ruled out, which is more useful to a clinician than a general description of feeling unwell. It works the same way at a GP appointment, on a health line or at a hospital triage window.

Sepsis Australia's own advice finishes on this point. Trust your intuition. If it does not feel right, take action.

If an infection is not settling

An infection that is not improving is worth a look rather than a wait. One that is clearly getting worse should not be left.

To book with us at Your Health Griffith, call 02 6962 7661 or book online through HotDoc.

Source

Sepsis Australia (the Australian Sepsis Network, based at the George Institute for Global Health), September Awareness Month and Sepsis Signs and Symptoms in Adults, australiansepsisnetwork.net.au. World Sepsis Day is 13 September each year. General sepsis information is also published by healthdirect at healthdirect.gov.au.