A number of family members of people who have died from sepsis have shared their stories to mark World Sepsis Day today ).
Nora Cunningham, who lost her baby son Eoghan to sepsis shortly before his first birthday, urged parents to trust their instincts if they feel something is wrong with their child.
“Look after your family,” she said. “Use good hand hygiene, stay as healthy as you can and make sure vaccinations are up to date.
“Know the signs and symptoms of sepsis, particularly if your loved one has an infection, and, as a parent, if you feel your child isn’t right, they probably are not alright. Seek urgent help. Don’t wait, and it might save their life.”
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Former Ireland international footballer Stephen Carr lost his mother, a fit and healthy 64-year-old, to sepsis.
“My mam just had the normal flu, wasn’t really shaking it off,” he said. Over the course of a week, Mr Carr’s mother deteriorated and, by the time she got to hospital, she was diagnosed with sepsis.
“Doctors did everything they could, but it was just too late,” he said. “She had sepsis going on. I think you have to question everything if you’re not getting better. The question is ‘Have I got sepsis now?’”
The HSE is encouraging the public to be aware of sepsis and to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms.
Sepsis can develop from any infection and can affect anyone but is more common in young people, the elderly, people with pre-existing medical conditions or those with a weakened immune system.
Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose as it can be easily confused with other conditions in the early stages of infection.
Yvonne Young of the HSE national sepsis team said the most effective way to reduce death from sepsis is by “prevention, good sanitation, personal hygiene, healthy eating, exercising moderately, breastfeeding, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, and vaccination against vaccine-preventable infections”.
She added: “The next most effective way is through early recognition and treatment. However, this is not always straightforward.
“Sepsis evolves over time and the pace of development depends on each individual patient’s health status, their genetic response to infection and the characteristics of the infection.”
The most commonly reported symptoms of sepsis include slurred speech, confusion, excessive drowsiness, pain or discomfort in the muscles or joints, passing very little or no urine, severe breathlessness, a racing heart, shivering, fever, and feeling very cold.
Another warning sign is when skin turns pale, as well as the presence of discoloured skin or a rash that won’t fade when pressed on.
In children the signs to look out for include if they abnormally cold to touch; the skin looks mottled, bluish or pale; breathing very fast; is unusually sleepy and difficult to wake; has a rash that does not fade when you press it; and having fits or convulsions.
Warning signs in children under five include not feeding; vomiting repeatedly; has not had a wet nappy in the last 12 hours.
