Clinical toolkit could save 12,500 lives a year, claim campaigners

Campaigners today claimed that a freely available toolkit could save the lives of 12,500 NHS patients in Britain each year who would otherwise die from sepsis, which affects 102,000 people annually leading to 37,000 fatalities. The Sepsis toolkit campaign, launched today (23 February 2015) by NHS Change Day in partnership with the UK Sepsis Trust  aims to establish the toolkits in every organisation in the NHS.

Additionally, the campaign seeks to inform members of the public about the signs of sepsis. 

Sepsis is a commonly occurring condition triggered by an infection: 

• In an attempt to overcome the infection, our bodies release a battery of chemicals and hormones causing inflammation, and send white blood cells to fight the invading organisms.
• When this response becomes uncontrolled, inflammation affects the entire body and can lead to organ failure: this is known as the sepsis syndrome.
• Although many patients return to a normal life, those who survive the condition may experience longstanding physical effects, and some suffer from psychological difficulties resulting from their prolonged illness.
• Early recognition and application of the ’Sepsis Six’ interventions dramatically improves a patient’s prospects.

The signs of sepsis: 

• Slurred Speech
• Extreme shivering or muscle pain
• Passing no urine (in a day)
• Severe breathlessness
• “I feel like I might die”
• Skin mottled or discoloured

Those particularly at risk include: the very young and old, pregnant women, long term steroid users. Anyone experiencing the signs of sepsis should attend A&E immediately.

Dr Ron Daniels, CEO of UK Sepsis Trust and Global Sepsis Alliance, said today: "A decade ago, I watched a young man die from sepsis. Opportunities to rescue him had been missed, and his family were left devastated by a condition they’d never heard of.

“That’s why I've spent 10 years devoted to improving outcomes from sepsis, and why I founded the UK Sepsis Trust: a charity changing the lives of thousands of people every year.

“The reality is that survival can be a game of chance -- without the swift action of individual junior doctors, nurses, assistants and allied professionals, many of our supporters would not be here today.

"That's why achieving change in sepsis has to be a grass roots campaign, and why 'Know your Sepsis Toolkit' is essential to our successfully fulfiling our mission, a mission to save over 12,500 more lives every year. We are proud to be working in partnership with NHS Change Day."