Journalist reports on sepsis, then suffers it

A JOURNALIST did not realise she had sepsis, despite interviewing a woman with the condition a few weeks before she was admitted to hospital with the life-threatening illness.

Sarah Mcmullan said she felt “really cold” during a morning shift at BBC Scotland and later on her lips turned blue while her hands were “chalk white”. Her illness occurred only a few weeks after presenting a story for Sepsis Awareness Month.

Ms Mcmullan said she “should have acted sooner” as she left it more than 36 hours before she called an NHS helpline and went on to spend six days in hospital, with her temperature reaching 40C.

When interviewing Kimberley Bradley as part of the awareness campaign in September, Ms Mcmullan had learnt about some of the key symptoms to watch out for with sepsis. Yesterday, she told BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme: “She spoke through all the symptoms and what to look out for and what to remember and when to get help, and I did not remember them well enough.”

Her experience has convinced her of the need to call for medical help as soon as possible.

“It really is the difference between it being life or death in some instances,” she said.