Don't Mistake Sepsis For "The Flu"

Auckland, 6 September 2022 - Around the world, sepsis is the number one cause of death in hospitals. It is also the most common cause of hospital readmission and, unsurprisingly, one of the leading causes of healthcare spending.

"According to the Global Burden of Disease study, New Zealand has more than 10,000 cases of sepsis annually and more than 1,600 deaths as a result, " says Dr Dan Dobbins, an Emergency Medicine Specialist at Waikato Hospital.

“Most of those cases are amongst children, the elderly, people who live in crowded, damp housing, and adults with pre-existing conditions. COVID has made things worse, but we’ve always had a sepsis problem here.”

Sepsis (mate whakataaoke), or “blood poisoning” (toto pirau) happens when a body’s response to an infection causes the person’s immune system to go into overdrive. This results in damage to tissues and organs. It can lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death – especially if not recognised early.

“This isn’t complex stuff” says Dobbins. “Sick people with sepsis need antibiotics and whatever treatments are needed to control the infection causing it. Unfortunately, unlike “heart attack” and “stroke”, many people haven’t heard of the term “sepsis”, so don’t know the key symptoms. Everyone needs to know what to look out for if they have an infection, and Just Ask: Could it be Sepsis?”

S- slurred speech and confusion

E- extreme shivering or muscle pain (rigors)

P- passing no urine in a day

S- severe shortness of breath/rapid breathing

I – it feels like I’m going to die

S- Skin mottled or discoloured

Governments are starting to take sepsis seriously. This year, the Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Healthcare released a Sepsis Care Standard, which sets out the steps that all Australian hospitals have to take to recognise and respond effectively to sepsis.

In New Zealand, the Sepsis Trust has been working with Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury for the last few months to launch the “Raise the Flag” programme. A programme that has been successfully implemented in Taranaki (Te Whatu Ora Taranaki) and Waikato (Te Whatu Ora Waikato)

“Raise the Flag is about helping all staff in frontline environments to recognize the symptoms and signs of sepsis, and to use a simple tool to guide treatment – something we call the “Sepsis Six”, says Dan Dobbins. “Where the programme has been implemented it's reduced antibiotic delivery time and empowered staff to speak up about people they’re worried about”.

The Sepsis Trust has also developed a National Sepsis Action Plan which calls on Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and its agencies to plan, fund, and deliver better care for people with sepsis, their family and whānau.

“Although the plan was developed before the Australian standard was released, it basically sets out the same steps towards increasing awareness and saving lives” says Dobbins.

The plan calls for the following actions, and is available at www.sepsis.org.nz/action

1. Create a national clinical network for sepsis, similar to the national trauma network
2. Fund publicity programmes to increase public awareness
3. Provide clear expectations of care in health facilities, and provide staff with the education, training and support required to look after patients with sepsis
4. Make sure good data is collected on the number of people with sepsis, how they are treated and patient outcomes.
5. Provide rehabilitation and support for sepsis survivors

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