World Sepsis Day 2023: Spreading Sepsis awareness across Cwm Taf Morgannwg
This week, our Critical Care Outreach, Care of the Elderly Advanced Clinical Practitioners and the community Advanced Nurse Practitioner teams within Cwm Taf Morgannwg have been raising awareness of the risks of Sepsis, and the signs and symptoms to look out for.
Every year on September 13, we join organisations and individuals around the world to mark World Sepsis Day, although many of our staff are involved in Sepsis awareness charity events throughout the year.
What causes Sepsis? Sepsis is caused by your body’s immune system responding abnormally to an infection in the body.
It is a life-threatening condition and if not diagnosed early can carry significant patient risk leading to permanent or life changing after-effects, including organ failure and even death in some instances.
Sepsis information stands have been set up across our sites to support healthcare professionals across CTM to identify any patients they suspect at risk of Sepsis, and to educate staff around the immediate steps to take with anyone suspected of fighting the condition.
We have also been discussing the signs and symptoms of Sepsis with patients visiting our hospitals today. Vanessa Jones, Nursing Lead for Acute Deterioration, CTM said:
“The UK Sepsis Trust estimate there is up to 48,000 deaths from sepsis in the UK every year. For many patients if sepsis is identified early it can be easier to treat.
As a Health Board, we are supporting our staff to recognise the early signs of Sepsis and to help them to feel more confident in diagnosing and managing Sepsis promptly, when they first suspect it in a patient.
We also want to make our patients and communities more aware of the signs of Sepsis; by doing this we can work towards reducing preventable harm and death from Sepsis in the future.”
The UK Sepsis Trust has lots of information and resources to help you spot the signs and symptoms of Sepsis (in adults and children). Take five minutes this September to get Sepsis Savvy.
Source: The UK Sepsis Trust
If you think it could be Sepsis, call 111 or book a visit to your GP and ask ‘Could it be Sepsis’?
Sepsis Support
If you’ve lost a loved one to sepsis, or if you’re a sepsis survivor looking for information to aid you in your recovery, the UK Sepsis Trust provides free Nurse-led support. Get in touch today: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support
13/09/2023