HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE FACILITIES


SEPSIS: HOW GREAT IS THE THREAT?


Sepsis poses an increasing threat in the healthcare sector today. Liam Mynes from Tork


manufacturer Essity finds out why and looks at what is being done to prevent and treat this frightening condition.


At least a quarter of a million people a year in the UK contract sepsis, according to the Sepsis Trust. The condition is responsible for an estimated 52,000 deaths annually - which means it kills more people than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.


So, why has sepsis only relatively recently come to light? And how great a threat does it pose to the public?


The discovery of sepsis is actually not a recent phenomenon at all – it dates back to the late 19th century when Louis Pasteur found bacteria in the blood of puerperal septicemia patients. However, the term ‘sepsis’ was only coined in 1991 when an international panel of health experts used it to define any condition in which the body has an abnormal response to an infection.


Sepsis results when an infection sends the immune system into overdrive and instead of fighting off the germs, it starts attacking the organs and tissues which can lead to organ failure and potentially death.


Opinion is divided as to whether or not the number of sepsis cases is growing. An increasing awareness of the


52 | TOMORROW’S FM


condition - coupled with the fact that improvements have been made to the way in which the data is recorded - may be partly to blame for an apparent spike in the statistics.


Hospital patients are particularly vulnerable to sepsis for a number of reasons. Many are elderly, frail and have a compromised immune system – and they will also inevitably be surrounded by other people who are ill.


Meanwhile, a growing use of invasive procedures in healthcare plus the general increase in antibiotic resistance are also contributing to the increased risk facing hospital patients. So, what can be done to help keep them safe?


One major problem with sepsis is that it is notoriously difficult to diagnose. It can affect anyone at any age and signs to look out for include chills, shivering, a raised heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, severe muscle pain, breathlessness and a mottled skin. However, many of these symptoms could also be linked to other causes such as colds, flu, heart problems, stomach


twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86