JUST ASK, COULD IT BE SEPSIS?

Sepsis is a life-threatening response to any infection that progresses quickly and requires immediate attention. Know the signs and symptoms (one or all of the following may be present).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SEPSIS

Rapid breathing

Rapid heart rate

Confusion, slurred speech or disorientation

Fever or shivering

Muscle pain

Not passing urine

Discoloured skin

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!

Early-stage sepsis:

Sufferers are generally unwell, may display one or all of the signs and symptoms, feel worse than when previously sick and there is concern
Contact healthdirect at https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ OR Call 1800 022 222 (24 hours) and ask…could it be sepsis?

Later stage sepsis:

Sufferers are seriously unwell, likely to display significant changes in multiple signs and symptoms, feel like they might die and there is serious concern
CALL 000 Ambulance or if quicker go immediately to the closest Emergency Department and ask….could it be sepsis?

Key considerations:

If concerned get advice immediately
If seriously concerned get treatment immediately
Inflammation due to infection is normal but in sepsis the inflammation response is uncontrolled, it may start mildly but rapidly escalate to critical illness
Sepsis is difficult to recognise as it may not have an obvious cause, it can look like viral or bacterial illnesses such as flu, gastro or urinary tract infection
Trust your intuition…if it doesn’t feel right TAKE ACTION and always ask…could it be sepsis?

symptom checker Call 000

Report

Sepsis Australia – Consumer Brief on the National Sepsis Program Extension

PROJECT INITIATIVE/OVERVIEW – In 2022, The George Institute/Sepsis Australia (TGISA) lobbied the Commonwealth Government for funding to progress the continued implementation of the Stopping Sepsis National Action Plan resulting in a budget allocation of funds for the National Sepsis Program Extension (NSPE).

To leverage established contract and probity arrangements, in June 2023, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (‘the Commission’), in collaboration with TGISA, was appointed by the Australian Government Department of Health and Age Care to coordinate the NSPE. The purpose is to build on and continue the work undertaken in the first phase of the National Sepsis Program (2020-2022).

National Sepsis Program

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