Always think sepsis – World Sepsis Day 2018

World Sepsis Day is being marked at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust on Thursday 13 September with a number of events for patients and staff throughout the hospital.

Every 3.5 seconds, someone in the world dies of sepsis. In the UK alone, 44,000 people lose their lives to sepsis every year. Sepsis occurs when the body's response to an infection results in the vital systems in the body starting to fail, which, if not treated quickly, can lead to multiple system failure and death.

Last month, 20 year old sepsis survivor Amy Bulbeck, from Westbury, took to  Facebook to thank paramedics and RUH staff for saving her life. Now she is using her experience to make others aware of the life-threatening condition.  
Read Amy’s story here.

Dr Lesley Jordan, Consultant Anaesthetist and Patient Safety Lead at the RUH, said:

"We're delighted that Amy is using her time to promote sepsis awareness and we've been overwhelmed by the amount of people who saw her post on Facebook. It shows that early diagnosis is so important in successfully treating the life-threatening condition. It is a time- critical condition and it can be challenging to diagnose as the signs can be similar to other common ailments, like the flu. Early detection is important in securing the best outcome for patients."

"The Trust has introduced screening tools to identify patients at risk of sepsis, which has been recognised by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards. We've seen a large improvement in screening for sepsis and an increase in patients receiving timely antibiotics as a result."

We’re also a leader in training our staff about sepsis awareness and treatment. Other acute hospital Trusts across the South West have adopted the RUH's training model. As well as providing training for staff, the RUH campaign also aims to increase public awareness of the six signs that could indicate the presence of sepsis.

"Sepsis can affect anyone at any age. Lifesaving treatment for sepsis is often straightforward such as fluids and antibiotics.

Early recognition is crucial – anyone with an infection who starts to feel unwell with any of these signs should seek medical advice urgently:

Slurred speech or confusion,
Extreme shivering or muscle pain,
Passing no urine (in a day),
Severe breathlessness,
It feels like you're going to die,
Skin mottled or discoloured."

For more information about Sepsis go to: 

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/
• https://sepsistrust.org/about/about-sepsis/
• https://www.world-sepsis-day.org/

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, cancer related fatigue and fatigue linked to other long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust is now working towards building a purpose built RNHRD and Therapies Centre and a new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future
• For more information about the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk

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