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

Academic Papers

Publication – Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines 2024

International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2021

Updated global adult sepsis guidelines, released in October 2021 by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC), place an increased emphasis on improving the care of sepsis patients after they are discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) and represent greater geographic and gender diversity than previous versions.

The new guidelines specifically address the challenges of treating patients experiencing the long-term effects of sepsis. Patients often experience lengthy ICU stays and then face a long, complicated road to recovery. In addition to physical rehabilitation challenges, patients and their families are often uncertain how to coordinate care that promotes recovery and matches their goals of care.

To address these issues, the guidelines recommend involving patients and their families in goals-of-care discussions and hospital discharge plans, which should include early and ongoing follow-up with clinicians to support and manage long-term effects and assessment of physical, cognitive, and emotional issues after discharge.

Surviving sepsis guidelines 2024

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