Don’t Mistake Sepsis For “The Flu”

Auckland, 6 September 2022 – Around
the world, sepsis is the number one cause of death in
hospitals. It is also the most common cause of hospital
readmission and, unsurprisingly, one of the leading causes
of healthcare spending.

“According to the Global
Burden of Disease study, New Zealand has more than
10,000 cases of sepsis annually and more than 1,600 deaths
as a result, ” says Dr Dan Dobbins, an Emergency
Medicine Specialist at Waikato Hospital.

“Most of
those cases are amongst children, the elderly, people who
live in crowded, damp housing, and adults with pre-existing
conditions. COVID has made things worse, but we’ve
always had a sepsis problem here.”

Sepsis
(mate whakataaoke), or “blood poisoning” (toto
pirau) happens when a body’s response to an infection
causes the person’s immune system to go into overdrive.
This results in damage to tissues and organs. It can lead to
shock, multi-organ failure, and death – especially if not
recognised early.

“This isn’t complex stuff”
says Dobbins. “Sick people with sepsis need antibiotics
and whatever treatments are needed to control the infection
causing it. Unfortunately, unlike “heart attack” and
“stroke”, many people haven’t heard of the term
“sepsis”, so don’t know the key symptoms. Everyone
needs to know what to look out for if they have an
infection, and Just Ask: Could it be
Sepsis?”

S– slurred speech and
confusion

E– extreme shivering or
muscle pain (rigors)

P– passing no
urine in a day

S– severe shortness of
breath/rapid breathing

I – it feels
like I’m going to die

S– Skin
mottled or discoloured

Governments are starting to
take sepsis seriously. This year, the Australian Commission
on Quality and Safety in Healthcare released a Sepsis Care
Standard, which sets out the steps that all Australian
hospitals have to take to recognise and respond effectively
to sepsis.

In New Zealand, the Sepsis Trust has been
working with Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury for the last
few months to launch the “Raise the Flag” programme. A
programme that has been successfully implemented in Taranaki
(Te Whatu Ora Taranaki) and Waikato (Te Whatu Ora
Waikato)

“Raise the Flag is about helping all staff
in frontline environments to recognize the symptoms and
signs of sepsis, and to use a simple tool to guide treatment
– something we call the “Sepsis Six”, says Dan
Dobbins. “Where the programme has been implemented it’s
reduced antibiotic delivery time and empowered staff to
speak up about people they’re worried about”.

The
Sepsis Trust has also developed a National Sepsis Action
Plan which calls on Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and
its agencies to plan, fund, and deliver better care for
people with sepsis, their family and
whānau.

“Although the plan was developed before the
Australian standard was released, it basically sets out the
same steps towards increasing awareness and saving lives”
says Dobbins.

The plan calls for the following
actions, and is available at www.sepsis.org.nz/action

1. Create
   a national clinical network for sepsis, similar to the
   national trauma network
2. Fund publicity programmes to
   increase public awareness
3. Provide clear expectations
   of care in health facilities, and provide staff with the
   education, training and support required to look after
   patients with sepsis
4. Make sure good data is
   collected on the number of people with sepsis, how they are
   treated and patient outcomes.
5. Provide rehabilitation
   and support for sepsis
   survivors

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