Raising Awareness for Sepsis

by Natalie McCulloch

“Knowledge itself is power” Sir Francis Bacon famously proclaimed. Centuries later, this seems pertinent when considering ‘The UK Sepsis Trust” mission to equip more people with the ‘know how’ to help them gain the power to avoid preventable deaths!

Did you know that every hour in the UK 5 people die with Sepsis? That amounts to at least 48,000 people a year in the UK alone.

Just these facts alone suggest there’s really no better time to get SEPSIS SAVVY!

So what is Sepsis?

Sepsis (also known as blood poisoning) is a potentially lifethreatening condition, triggered by the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury. Normally our immune system fi ghts infection – but sometimes, for reasons we don’t yet understand, it attacks our body’s own organs and tissues.

Some important points to consider are:

• If not treated immediately, sepsis can result in organ failure and death.

• It can be diffi cult to spot but knowing the ‘tell-tale’ signs could well save your life or others.

• It can affect anyone, regardless of age or state of health.

• For many patients, if sepsis is caught early, it can be easy to treat. With early diagnosis, thousands more lives a year in the UK alone, could be saved.

So, once again, it comes down to knowledge is power!

What are some of the key signs of Sepsis?

In adults: • Have a ‘fi t’ or convulsion, or look mottled, bluish, or pale

• Have a rash that does not fade when you press it

• If under 5 years old they may not be feeding, vomiting repeatedly or had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours

If you can relate to these symptoms – don’t wait! Especially if they seem to be deteriorating. If someone has one or more of the sepsis symptoms, call 999. If you’re concerned about an infection, call 111. Or contact your GP and just ask: Could it be sepsis?

This is just a brief introduction to Sepsis, but there is so much more knowledge to be gained and you have the power to do that thanks to the help of organisations such as The Sepsis Trust UK. Their mission is to provide clear information, support to cope with diagnosis, supportive empathetic ears, information on treatment options and much much more. But all of this wouldn’t be possible without support from volunteers, fundraisers and the public – so it really is a matter of ‘manpower’ when it comes to the battle with Sepsis.

To celebrate the 10th birthday of ‘The UK Sepsis Trust’, they have launched the ‘Power up’ campaign to help raise awareness, offer support to those affected and help prevent avoidable deaths.

• It may feel like you have fl u, gastroenteritis or a chest infection at fi rst.

• Early symptoms include fever, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and quick breathing.

• Symptoms of sepsis or septic shock include feeling dizzy or faint, confusion or disorientation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea and cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.

In children:

• They may be breathing very fast

Will you take the time to “Power up” to help fight against sepsis and to gain the knowledge to spot the live saving signs of Sepsis and educate others to do the same?

One local champion who is keen to ‘Power Up’ and increase knowledge of Sepsis is Tony Hamer. He’s following in the footsteps of Felix Baumgartner who broke the record for the highest skydive back in 2012, coincidentally the same year The UK Sepsis Trust launched. Tony wanted to do something extreme to raise funds and awareness of Sepsis to mirror the severity of the condition. So, on June 11th 2022 Tony will be doing his first ever skydive in order to raise these vital funds and awareness.

He told me “I’m very anxious about the skydive, it’s my first ever, but I knew I wanted to do something extreme, my friend contracted sepsis, I knew very little about it, he spent 3 weeks in a coma, he’s home now and thankfully making small steps to recover, this is what I feel I can do to help”.

Tony has bravely committed to ‘POWER UP’ to get sepsis savvy, could you do the same? (Please note:- It doesn’t have to be anything as extreme as a skydive!)

So, why is awareness so important? Ten years ago, Dr Ron Daniels was motivated to create the UK Sepsis Trust after witnessing the tragic and preventable death of 37-year-old father of two, Jem Abbots. He knew that with the proper awareness and training, early diagnosis and treatment could save many lives.

Since 2012, The UK Sepsis Trust, have been working hard to empower millions of people to spot the signs of sepsis, support struggling families and educate medical staff. However, with more than 48,000 people still dying of sepsis every year and over 60,000 survivors left with life-altering challenges, there is far more work to be done!

The money you donate really does make a huge difference too – 28p of every £1 goes directly to raising public awareness, 23p to educating health care professionals and 15p to fund support networks for those affected. Asides from this the remaining money is used to drive change and develop strategies of fundraising. So not a single penny is wasted or taken for granted!

Will you join in the birthday celebrations to make sure more people can celebrate theirs?

If you would like to donate to The Sepsis Trust UK or find out more information, please log onto https://sepsistrust. org/about/about-sepsis/

£12 £12 £12

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