World Sepsis day is on 13th September every year, so CHFT want to take the opportunity to launch our new pathways and refresh our messages about Sepsis.

Sepsis is a major reason for admission to hospital and is a major contributor to deaths in hospital both nationally and locally.

For a number of years we have used a Sepsis Bundle across the Trust created by a multi-disciplinary including anaesthetics, acute medicine and surgery, pharmacy, microbiology and emergency care – to name a few examples.

In the past year The National Sepsis guidance has changed to encourage the early identification of the sickest to ensure they receive treatment the fastest. It is these changes that we have made to the new guidance.

The Trust has given the new Sepsis pathways a new look and included the early indicators of Severe Sepsis, known as Red Flags, so we can easily recognise the changes in any patient and get help quickly.

On September 14th the launch day – the Trust will ensure all the new pathways and posters are available on every clinical area so that staff know about the changes and what to do when they are concerned about a patient.

The Trust will be sharing the messages at every clinical audit and education meeting the week before the launch and there will be plenty of training opportunities in the weeks around the launch.

Sepsis is a Medical Emergency and one of our biggest causes of death in the Trust.

Therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to ‘Find it, Treat it, Beat it’

For ward areas – Think Infection? Spot Sepsis!

For Emergency Department and in-patient pathways – ‘Recognise, Resuscitate, Review’

Facts about Sepsis

•             Estimated 100,000 cases of severe sepsis per annum in England & Wales and 30-50% of them will die

•             Average CHFT mortality has fallen from 40% to 23% but we cannot be complacent – mortality is threatening to rise again (currently 28%!)

•             There is new national guidance, and a new national CQUIN, so both the challenge and the opportunity are ripe to refresh our efforts in the battle against this killer

•             THINK INFECTION? – SPOT SEPSIS!

•             Screen early for SIRS criteria in anyone who might possibly have an infection

•             If they have 2 SIRS criteria then start the sepsis 6 care bundle immediately and look for signs of “Red Flag” sepsis