AURA 2023: report on antimicrobial use and resistance

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

The nation’s latest major report on antimicrobial use and resistances has revealed that Australia is heading in the right direction – but there’s still a lot of work to do.

AURA 2023: Fifth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health was released by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care on 16 November 2023.

The report highlights trends and analyses in antimicrobial use in hospitals, aged care and primary care settings, as well as changes in resistance that are important for infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial prescribing.

Early treatment with antibiotics can stop sepsis & antimicrobial resistance can be avoided with good antimicrobial stewardship.

Find out more and read the full report here.