Today (Monday 13 September) is World Sepsis Day (WSD), and like every other day of the year, hundreds of people will be affected by this devastating condition.
Each year there are between 47-50 million cases of sepsis, at least 11 million die which equates to one death every 2.8 seconds.
So what is sepsis?
It’s a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when your immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs. Most types of microorganisms can cause sepsis, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. However, it may also be caused by infections with seasonal influenza viruses, dengue viruses, and highly transmissible pathogens of public health concern such as avian and swine influenza viruses, Ebola, and yellow fever viruses.
Sepsis can present in patients with common infections such as those associated with the lungs, skin and urinary tract. It is important it is diagnosed at an early stage when treatment is likely to be more successful and the patient has the best chance of a good recovery.
Signs that might indicate sepsis
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever
- Severe breathlessness
- It feels like you’re going to die
- Skin mottled or discoloured
Everyone can get sepsis, no matter how healthy or fit you are or where you live. There are certain people who are at a higher risk. Those people include:
- Children under 1
- Adults over 65
- People with no spleen
- People with chronic disease e.g. lung, liver, heart
- People with weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions e.g. AIDS, Diabetes
Quick action and treatment means you are more likely to make a full recovery but it can take time.
Treatment for sepsis
Sepsis needs to be treated straight away with immediate medical care which includes prompt administration of antibiotics. If it isn’t treated quickly, the condition can turn into septic shock and cause your organs to fail.
Recovering from sepsis
Quick action and treatment means you are more likely to make a full recovery but it can take time.
You might continue to have physical and emotional symptoms which can last for months, or even years, after you have had sepsis.
These long-term effects are sometimes called post-sepsis syndrome, and can include:
- Feeling very tired and weak, and difficulty sleeping
- Lack of appetite
- Getting ill more often
- Changes in your mood, or anxiety or depression
- Nightmares or flashbacks
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Infection control at Benenden Hospital
At our CQC rated Outstanding hospital, the health and wellbeing of everyone is our priority, whether you’re a patient, a visitor or a member of our team.
Reducing the risk of infection has always been and remains a priority for us and we’ve had no cases of hospital acquired infections such as MRSA or Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) as far as our records go back.
Whilst not all infections are preventable, a proportion of healthcare-associated infections are. With that in mind, infection prevention and control and basic hygiene are at the heart of good management and clinical practice and therefore vitally important to the work we do at Benenden Hospital.
We’re proud of our infection control record. Whether you're an inpatient for surgery or attending an outpatient appointment, we'll keep you safe during your time at our spacious CQC Outstanding hospital. Find out about the measures we’ve put in place so that you can relax during time with us.
Published on 13 September 2021