Every second counts in the early treatment of sepsis
As Coronation Street highlights the dangers of life threatening condition sepsis, MICHELE O’CONNOR asks an expert about the warning signs
CORONATION Street viewers this week saw seven-yearold Jack Webster, played by Kyran Bowes, fighting for his life when a seemingly innocuous cut on his knee led to him developing sepsis.
His dad Kevin (Michael Le Vell) was of course distraught as he watched his little son suffer.
Dr Ron Daniels BEM, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust (sepsistrust.org) has been working closely with the writers of the ITV soap to ensure that the subject matter is dealt with both accurately and sensitively.
“It’s incredible that Coronation Street is raising the profile of a condition which affects so many people, and yet until now has been so poorly recognised,” he says.
“Sepsis can affect anyone of any age and claims more lives in the UK every year than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined.
“It can arise from something as innocuous as a small cut, insect bite or urine infection. If not diagnosed and treated quickly, sepsis can rapidly lead to organ failure and death.”
Every year in the UK, at least 250,000 people develop sepsis – 44,000 die (that’s 120 people every single day) and 60,000 suffer permanent, life-changing aftereffects.
Earlier diagnosis and treatment could prevent at least 14,000 unnecessary deaths every year and save millions of pounds.
Dr Daniels says: “Increased awareness will save lives. For every hour there is a delay in treatment, the risk of death increases by 8%. Doctors therefore need to get better at detecting sepsis. There are two main reasons why it gets missed. Firstly, sepsis was only identified for the first time in 1991, so when you realise that we’ve been reliably diagnosing and treating heart attacks since the 1960s, we’re decades behind.
“Secondly, sepsis is a great mimic. Unlike heart attacks, which have classic symptoms, the symptoms of sepsis can be diverse and varied. And because symptoms can be confused with flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection, patients tend to wait to feel better or call their GP and 111 – but not an ambulance.”
But awareness campaigns – and soap storylines like Jack’s – mean we are now recognising the symptoms of sepsis more reliably.
Dr Daniels adds: “YouGov polls show that public awareness has risen among the general public from 47% to 80% in the last five years. And among the medical profession, screening for sepsis has risen from less than half to 86% in the last three years, while early treatment with antibiotics has increased from 32% to 80%.
“Treatment isn’t complex or expensive. It’s simple and extremely effective – doubling the chance of survival if put into place early enough.
“Doctors should now look for ‘red flag’ symptoms and treat them urgently.
“The key piece of advice I would give every reader is this,” he adds. “If you have the symptoms of an infection and feel worse than you have ever felt before, ask your GP or hospital doctor, ‘Could it be sepsis?’ Or, if you’re at home, dial 999 and get to A&E.
“A difference of just one hour in receiving treatment can mean the difference between life and death.”