Walsall Healthcare’s dedicated outreach and response team is raising awareness of sepsis today and visiting staff to promote the six vital actions that they need to take within the first hour of recognising it in a patient.
The SORT – Sepsis Outreach and Response Team – was launched in January 2022, led by ICU Matron Angela Dixon and Clinical Director for Critical Care Dr Aditya Kuravi. It is made up of senior nurses with critical care backgrounds and the skill sets required to identify and treat deteriorating patients.
The team is hosting a stand near to Costa Coffee today, Thursday 6 October, until 1pm, joined by Infection Prevention and Control colleagues.
The team is made up of Laura Hu, Amy Blakemore, Helen Halsall, Louise King and Becki Clay who cover the outreach and sepsis role and Lucy Mason and Jade Hind who cover outreach only.
Helen Halsall said: “Sepsis is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it can be difficult to identify with symptoms that can be similar to flu.
“It means that the body responds to an infection by injuring its own tissues and organs which may lead to multi-organ failure and prove fatal. Early recognition and prompt treatment is vital if we are to try to reduce the many thousands of sepsis deaths that happen every year. Our stand is to raise awareness among both staff and the public and we will also be walking the wards to highlight the Sepsis 6 care bundle.”
Symptoms of sepsis can be:
Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain
Passing no urine (in a day)
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you are going to die
Skin is mottled/discoloured
The Sepsis Bundle consists of six actions all to be completed by staff in the first hour of recognising Sepsis.
Laura Hu added: “Critical Care Outreach was re-launched in June 2019 to provide a 24/7 service for critically ill patients across the Trust.
“To date the service continues to support staff on the wards by recognising, responding, and escalating patients appropriately across the whole hospital and SORT is a seven days a week service that runs from 8am till 8.30pm.
“Families, carers and friends of our patients have just as important a role to play in helping us to identify Sepsis – we need them to be aware of the condition and its potential symptoms and seek medical help urgently.”
Laura added that the team is continuing to improve the service and promote awareness through teaching, online education, Basic Life Support training and new starter days.
World Sepsis Day was established in 2012 by the Global Sepsis Alliance, a not-for-profit charity which aims to provide global leadership to reduce the worldwide burden of sepsis. Walsall staff postponed their original World Sepsis Day stand on 13 September as it was during the national mourning period following the death of Her Majesty The Queen.