Importance of Early Diagnosis of Sepsis

Jayne's Situation

In an interview with Wales Online, Jayne admitted that she may never fully come to terms with what had happened to her despite making remarkable progress, explaining that:

“I went from being a fiercely independent woman, with 30 years working in nursing, to totally becoming dependant on other people with every aspect of daily living. I just could not accept what had happened to me … I could not wash, feed, walk, make myself a drink, or even sit up on my own … It was hard, very hard, to accept the new me.”

“The emotions I have felt can be equated to a grieving process … I have grieved not only the loss of my limbs, but also for the life I once had and the ease and ability to do so many things that we all take for granted.”

"Living life as a quadruple amputee is so incredibly hard and staying strong is frequently harder than you can imagine”

Jayne shared the impact of sepsis on the quality of her life with the world. She eventually managed to walk again unaided with the help of prosthetics and her devoted husband, Rob who stood by her and provided unwavering support whilst she attempted to rebuild her life. She credited her husband with helping her through her recovery saying that she “couldn’t have asked for anyone more supportive.”

Jayne became a sepsis awareness advocate and raised huge amounts of money for charity, but her condition sadly started to decline as she suffered from depression and chronic pain. Sadly, she took  her life in November 2020.

Sepsis Diagnosis Guidelines

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has specific guidelines to help medical staff diagnose sepsis better and the UK Sepsis Trust has developed ‘Sepsis Six’ pathway. This is a screening tool and process that health practitioners can use to help them identify if sepsis is a risk.

The Sepsis Six tool asks a number of questions, and if any 1 of a number of red flags are present, the health worker needs to start the Sepsis 6 Pathway. This is:

• Give oxygen
• Take blood
• Give IV antibiotics
• Give IV fluids
• Check serial lactates (this can identify possible sepsis)
• Measure urine output

All of these things can help to quickly diagnose and start treatment for someone who has possible sepsis.

The Sepsis Six Pathway is used in everyone over the age of 12 years old, and different processes are followed for young children and pregnant women.

With so much guidance in place, and with fairly easy steps to follow for healthcare professionals, we hope cases of sepsis are being identified more quickly.

Be Sepsis Savvy

The UK Sepsis Trust has developed a campaign for everyone to become ‘Sepsis Savvy’ to make sure that everyone knows more about sepsis so that you can identify this sooner and protect both yourself and your loved ones.

It’s estimated that 245,000 people develop Sepsis and nearly 50,000 die – it’s a medical emergency and need to be acted on very quickly.

Some groups of people are more at risk as they are more likely to get an infection that could lead to sepsis. These groups include:

• babies under 1, particularly if they're born early (premature) or their mother had an infection while pregnant
• people over 75
• people with diabetes
• people with a weakened immune system, such as those having chemotherapy treatment or who recently had an organ transplant
• people who have recently had surgery or a serious illness
• women who have just given birth, had a miscarriage or had an abortion
• people without a spleen
• anyone with a chronic illness

Sepsis can be mild when it starts but if left untreated, it can have life threatening consequences. Unfortunately it’s not always possible to prevent development of sepsis but there are some things that you can do to help prevent infections which could become septic, including:

• keep up to date with vaccines, particularly for babies, children, older people and pregnant women
• clean and care for any wounds
• take antibiotics correctly – follow the instructions and take all your prescribed antibiotics, even if you feel better
• wash your hands regularly and teach children how to wash their hands well

To help people to understand the symptoms of sepsis and try to recognise it early on, the UK Sepsis Trust has developed a quick way to remember the symptoms:

• S – slurred speech
• E – extreme shaking or muscle pain
• P – passing no urine in a day
• S – severe breathlessness
• I – it feels like you’re going to die
• S – skin mottled or pale

How Can We Help?

If you or someone you love has been affected by sepsis and you have concerns about your treatment we’re here to help. We will listen to you and provide you with a no obligation legal assessment to determine if you have fair prospects of success in making a sepsis negligence claim.

Our team of qualified Medical Negligence Lawyers will undertake all the necessary investigations for you, run your case from start to finish and arrange appointments with all of the appropriate medical expert(s).

Our team will regularly provide you with support and clear, straightforward advice throughout the whole process to reassure you and guide you every step of the way.

We have some of the best solicitors in England and Wales to meet all of your needs.

You are most likely still dealing with day-to-day challenges as a result of your injury and/or condition, and we want to make dealing with bringing a claim for compensation as seamless and stress free as possible so you can focus on your recovery and living a fulfilling, independent life.

If you are looking for a no obligation chat about a possible medical negligence claim, our friendly and dedicated team is ready to take your call on 0808 239 6043. Alternatively, you can request a call back and one of our team will contact you as soon as possible.