WHO calls for global action on sepsis to reduce the burden of this silent killer

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

Ahead of World Sepsis Day on September 13, the World Health Organizations first global report on sepsis finds that knowledge gaps are hampering efforts to tackle the millions of deaths and disabilities due to sepsis, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. For more information see: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/334216/9789240010789-eng.pdf

Sepsis kills an estimated 11 million people each year and disables millions more.

With most sepsis studies conducted in hospitals and intensive care units in high-income countries, there is little evidence from the rest of the world. Different definitions of sepsis, diagnostic criteria and hospital discharge coding are also making it difficult to develop a clear understanding of the true global burden of sepsis.

The WHO is calling on the global community to help address these gaps through improved study design and data collection and advocating for greater research funding as well as better surveillance systems, diagnostic tools and education for health workers and communities.

Read the WHO’s full media release here.