World Sepsis Day 2019 – Friday 13 September
Sepsis is a global health crisis, affecting 27 to 30 million people every year. Sepsis is the number one cause of preventable death worldwide. Up to 9 million of those infected die, which equates to one death every 3.5 seconds. Now in its eighth year, World Sepsis Day has been designed to raise awareness of this killer and by doing so, hopefully save lives.
What is Sepsis and how is it caused?
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. If not identified early and treated promptly, it may lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death. In fact, Sepsis is often the final common pathway to death from most infectious diseases worldwide. Sepsis can be caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites. However, it may also be caused by infections such as seasonal influenza viruses, dengue viruses, and highly transmissible pathogens of public health concern; such as avian and swine influenza viruses, Ebola, and yellow fever viruses.
Who is vulnerable to Sepsis?
Everybody can get Sepsis, no matter how healthy or how in good shape they are, or where they live. Certain people are at an even higher risk. Those include children under one and adults over 60, people with no spleen, with chronic diseases such as those affecting the lung, liver, heart, and people with weakened immune systems.
How can it be treated?
The best way to prevent Sepsis is to prevent infection in the first place. This can be done by vaccinations and good hand hygiene, raising awareness of the risks, the use of clean water and the prevention of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and safe childbirth.
How can Sepsis be identified?
There are six key identifiers of possible Sepsis infection, and they are:
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever
- Passing no urine all day
- Severe breathlessness
- It feels like you’re going to die
- Skin mottled or discoloured.
At Amore Group, we understand about the importance of maintaining good hygiene standards and ensuring that our registered carers have access to fully-funded specialised training opportunities. If you are looking to work in the care sector, please get in touch and find out how our experts can help you find the perfect position to suit you. If you would like more information on World Sepsis Day and find out what you can do to raise awareness, visit the website at: https://www.worldsepsisday.org/wsd2019.
