World Sepsis Day 2024: a personal perspective on this severe health issue

Posted: 13/09/2024

World Sepsis Day takes place on 13 September 2024 and is part of Sepsis Awareness Month. Both aim to raise awareness of the condition, its symptoms, and potential consequences, all with the goal of reducing the worldwide burden of sepsis.

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition, which can be hard to recognise. It occurs when the immune system overreacts to injury or infection and starts damaging the body’s own tissue and organs. If not treated, the widespread inflammation can spread and lead to organ failure, amputation and even death. The UK Sepsis Trust estimates that around 48,000 people die each year from sepsis-related illnesses, with thousands of these, sadly, preventable cases.

Aline Constan, associate in the clinical negligence team, has shared her own experience with sepsis, to help raise awareness of how the condition can appear:

“I am a mum to a healthy 12 year old, but when he was only 18 months old, he developed sepsis secondary to chicken pox. With hindsight, I realise that I had very little knowledge of the common symptoms of sepsis, and that even the health professionals involved in his care missed some of them.

“At first, I was not overly concerned about his chicken pox, as it was one of those childhood diseases all children go through, and he was not very uncomfortable, other than the usual itching. A few days after the spots had come out, however, he started to have very little appetite and had a fever. After 24 hours of not being able to get the fever down, I went to the GP, who advised that it was due to the chickenpox, and to continue with paracetamol.

“The next day, he was quite sleepy, and again had a high fever, and one of his spots looked infected. I took him again to the out of hours GP, but was brushed off as a worrying mum, and told not to take him to A&E as he was infectious.

“The next day, he was very lethargic, with fast breathing, and I was increasingly worried. I instinctively knew that something was wrong and called my GP again. As he was seen by a GP the day before, he was booked for an appointment with the community nurse.

“Luckily, she immediately spotted that something was wrong and called one of the GPs to come immediately. She sent me to hospital with a letter. The staff in the paediatric ward were waiting for us when we arrived, and he was put on antibiotics within minutes. He spent another 12 days in hospital and thankfully made a full recovery.

“With hindsight and the knowledge I have since gained about sepsis, I know how lucky we were and that it was a close call. I have also learned from this experience to follow my instinct as I know my children better than anyone else.

“In our practice, we regularly see the devastating effects of a delayed diagnosis, and know too well that treatment needs to be initiated immediately; otherwise, patients are at risk of suffering life-changing injuries, or even death. It is therefore essential for everyone to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of sepsis. Anyone can get sepsis, but it can be prevented.”

13 September each year is World Sepsis Day, and for this year, a fact sheet on sepsis has been created, summarising the main facts and symptoms. This can be found here.

A helpful three minute video, produced by World Sepsis Day on the most common causes, symptoms, and how it can be diagnosed and treated, is also available to watch here.

If you or a family member have concerns about the care provided for sepsis and suffered an injury as a result, please get in touch with our specialist team.