Could It Be Sepsis?
Sepsis affects more than 1 in 100 people (that is, 50,000 people) in New Zealand each year, but it is preventable. Knowing the signs and responding quickly can save lives. Sepsis awareness is key.
Seek medical help urgently if you or your loved one develops any or one of the following:
Slurred speech or confusion, or difficult to wake
Extreme shivering or muscle pain
Passing no urine (pee/mimi) for a day
Severe breathlessness or breathing very fast
It feels like you are going to die
Skin mottled, bluish, or pale or feels abnormally cold to touch (especially in children)
If you have an infection, symptoms of sepsis can include ANY of the following:
The Disease of All Ages.
Sepsis doesn’t care who you are or what you do…
Paige was a healthy young nurse working in a busy emergency department…listen to how she became a sepsis statistic, one of up to 50,000 Kiwis who contract sepsis annually…
Who is at risk?
Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis, but some people are at higher risk of infection and sepsis including:
Infants, neonates, and children under 15 years of age.
Adults over 60 years of age.
Pregnant or recently pregnant women
Māori or Pacific ethnicity
Socio-economic disadvantage
Previous sepsis event
Recently discharged from hospital
Immunocompromised people
Māori and Pacific people and individuals living in poverty are also at greater risk of developing sepsis in New Zealand. Increasing our sepsis awareness will help us all see the signs to ensure quick treatment.
4.2 million
Children die of sepsis each year globally.
$11,000
The average cost of a hospital admission with sepsis in New Zealand
80%
The proportion of sepsis cases which originate in the community.
11 million
Number of people that die of sepsis each year globally.
Contact Info
Helpful Links
With thanks to funders
ACC
Potter Trust
