Sepsis kills more people each year than heart attacks, strokes or almost any cancer, the HSE has said in a move to raise awareness of symptoms and promote early recognition and treatment of the condition.
To mark World Sepsis Day on Wednesday, the HSE has developed information leaflets on the life-threatening condition caused by an infection that affects the organs. The executive said sepsis kills one in five people who develop it.
John O’Rourke from Tullamore, Co Offaly, died of sepsis in 2020 aged 67. His daughter, Aisling, says that to this day she regrets “not knowing the signs of sepsis”.
“In 2018 my father had a stroke while at home,” she said. “I had grown up seeing the FAST ads about stroke on TV and knew that I had to call 999. However, I was completely unaware of the signs of sepsis, Dad had been in and out of hospital for over two years. At no stage were we told the signs of sepsis.
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“I want every house in Ireland to know what to look out for, I want families to know to call 999 if they suspect sepsis, to ask their doctors ‘could it be sepsis?’
“I will always wonder would dad have suffered less if I had known the signs? I want to use my voice and experience as a media professional to do what I can to prevent other families going through this awful trauma. My father was a passionate public servant and believed in public service, I would like his legacy to be that if anyone suspects sepsis they know to act immediately.”
The HSE has warned that slurred speech, new confusion, being too sick to communicate and drowsiness are all potential signs of sepsis. In addition, shortness of breath, dizziness, a racing heart, blue-tinged lips, mottled skin, a new rash and an inability to pass urine can also be symptoms.
Parents have been warned to monitor their children for fast breathing and convulsions, as well as unusually cold skin and an unusually heavy sleep patterns. For children under five the HSE says a lack of feeding, repeated vomiting or consistently dry nappies are also potential symptoms.
“It’s extremely important to recognise the symptoms of sepsis and to ask ‘could it be sepsis?’” says Dr Michael O’Dwyer, clinical lead of the HSE Sepsis Programme.
“But it’s as important to reduce your risk of developing it in the first place. There are things people can do to reduce their risk of sepsis, such as good personal hygiene, keeping up to date with your vaccinations, taking antibiotics as prescribed, and following medical advice recommended for chronic conditions.”
Further information is available on www.hse.ie/sepsis
