Marking Sepsis awareness month

September is Sepsis awareness month and last Saturday (September 13) marked world sepsis day.

Buildings across the county town lit up in pink to raise awareness on the life-threatening condition.

From dusk and overnight (Friday-Saturday, September 13-14) Cavan General Hospital, the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim, Cavan Courthouse, the Hotel Kilmore, Council offices, and the Slieve Russell Hotel were illuminated in pink.

Sepsis is not an infection; it is an inflammatory reaction to an infection that is already in the body.

According to the Health Service Executive one in five people who develop sepsis will die, but with early recognition and good treatment, this risk can be reduced.

The HSE is urging everyone to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of Sepsis and be ready to ask: Could this be Sepsis?

The National Sepsis Programme reported a 20.6% mortality rate from Sepsis in Ireland in 2023. In context, Sepsis kills more people each year than heart attacks, stroke or almost any cancer.

Sepsis is a global healthcare problem with an annual death toll in excess of 11 million people.

The illness usually begins as a simple infection.

This can start anywhere in or on the body. An abnormal immune response to this infection can then, in certain circumstances, overwhelm the patient and impair the function of any of the organs in the body and early recognition is of the utmost importance.

Although Sepsis can affect anyone, it is more common in the very young, the elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions or those with a weakened immune system.

Symptoms

The most commonly reported symptoms include:

- Slurred speech, mild agitation, confusion, ‘Not feeling right’

- Extreme aches and pains in your joints, high temperature

- P Have not passed urine in last 12 hours? No urge to pass urine?

- Short of Breath. Can you finish a sentence without pause? Are your lips tinged with blue?

- Is your heart racing very fast? Are you persistently dizzy when you sit or stand up? I feel like I’m going to die.

- Skin appears mottled, blueish in colour or new red rash that is still visible when pressed on by your finger or glass (glass test).

Sepsis in children

Signs and symptoms to look out for in children include:

Abnormally cold to the touch, looks mottled, bluish or pale, breathing very fast, is unusually sleepy and difficult to wake, has a rash that doesn’t not fade when you press it, having fits or convulsions.

In children under five years, watch in particular if they are not feeding, vomiting repeatedly or have not had a wet nappy in last 12 hours.

"If sepsis does develop, then early recognition and treatment can drastically improve your chances of making a good recovery," the spokesperson stated.

"Therefore, knowing the signs and symptoms and asking the question 'could it be Sepsis?' may save your life."