September 12, 2024World Sepsis Day, held annually on 13 September, is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against sepsis.
Sepsis is a time-critical medical emergency that arises when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs. It can lead to shock, failure of multiple organs, and death if not recognised early and not treated promptly.
Across the world, sepsis affects between 47 and 50 million people every year and at least 11 million people die – one death every 2.8 seconds. Twenty per cent of all deaths worldwide are associated with sepsis. However, awareness is low with a recent survey finding 60 per cent of Australians had not heard of sepsis and only 14 per cent could name one of its symptoms.
Cassie Gilbert and Yasmin Sungkar – Step on Sepsis Project Coordinators at Northern Health, said many of those who do survive sepsis can face lifelong consequences which can impact their day-to-day functioning.
“To improve outcomes, community awareness of signs and symptoms, together with time-critical recognition and appropriate healthcare management, is essential in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis,” they said.
In 2013, Northern Health introduced the Step on Sepsis program. Since then, this program has been successful in helping clinicians improve recognition and treatment of patients with sepsis. The program focuses on optimisation of sepsis recognition and management through audit and feedback, education, and the development and dissemination of sepsis resources.
If you would like to know more about sepsis and World Sepsis Day, visit:
https://www.worldsepsisday.org/
https://www.australiansepsisnetwork.net.au/
Featured image shows Cassie Gilbert and Yasmin Sungkar, Step on Sepsis Project Coordinators.
