UAE- Specialists urge public to be aware of signs of sepsis

ABU DHABI, 30th September, 2016 (WAM) – As part of World Sepsis Day, doctors at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) have asked people to be aware of the signs of sepsis, and warned that someone dies from it every few seconds throughout the world.

Sepsis, a serious illness that occurs when an infection travels through the entire body, can happen to anyone, but is more likely to occur in those who are old or bedridden, have had recent surgery, have thin tubes such as catheters in their bodies, or have a weak immune system. Sepsis can come from an infection in any part of the body, but is most often linked to infections in the lungs, kidneys, skin or colon. World Sepsis Day is observed every year on 13th September.

"Not many people know the symptoms of sepsis, which include fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, troubled breathing, as well as contusion and cold, clammy skin. If not treated quickly, sepsis can become severe and lead to a life-threatening condition called septic shock. Sepsis remains the primary cause of death from infection despite advances in modern medicine, including vaccines, antibiotics, and acute care, with hospital mortality rates averaging between 30 and 60 percent," said Dr. Kalpana Krishnareddy, Consultant Physician in Intensive Care at the SKMC, one of the hospitals run by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company.

In the developed world, sepsis is dramatically increasing by an annual rate of between 8 and 13 percent over the last decade, according to the Global Sepsis Alliance, and now claims more lives than colon and breast cancer combined.

Caregivers from the SKMC were at hand at Mushrif Mall in Abu Dhabi to increase awareness and understanding of sepsis among the Abu Dhabi community. Surveys will be distributed to measure the public awareness of the illness. In addition, Al Mushrif Children's Specialty Centre is conducting awareness activities for children on proper hand hygiene using a special glow-in-the-dark machine, which exposes the areas commonly missed and on proper teeth-brushing techniques and mouth hygiene.

"Sepsis is a medical emergency, and we need to ensure the public are well aware of the signs and dangers that are associated with this illness. Despite its high incidence, sepsis is practically unknown to the public and is often misunderstood as blood poisoning," added Dr. Hubert Hon, Chair of Critical Care Medicine at the SKMC.

"Sepsis is one of the most under-emphasised conditions both amongst public and healthcare professionals. Healthcare-associated infections remains the sixth leading cause of preventable deaths in hospitals. There is significant lag in translating evidence to practice amongst healthcare workers,'' said Dr. Abdul Majeed Al Zubaidi, Chief Medical Officer at SKMC, member of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

World Sepsis Day, he added, is a great platform to increase awareness about the illness and its devastating consequences to the general public and healthcare workers. Simple preventative measures such as hand hygiene, as well as early recognition and treatment, can help to reduce the impact of this destructive disease.

''We, at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, are very glad to participate in this awareness programme, which over the years will reduce human toll of this tragic disease," he said.