Top picks: Six resources about sepsis

Summary

According to the UK Sepsis Trust, sepsis affects 245,000 people every year in the UK alone, and 48,000 people die of sepsis-related illnesses. Sepsis arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It may lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death – especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.

At Patient Safety Learning we believe that sharing insights and learning is vital to improving outcomes and reducing harm. That's why we created the hub; to provide a space for people to come together and share their experiences, resources and good practice examples.

We have pulled together six useful resources about sepsis that have been shared on the hub. They include advice on recognising and managing sepsis along with educational materials.

Content

1 THINK SEPSIS

THINK SEPSIS is a Health Education England programme aimed at improving the diagnosis and management of those with sepsis. Prompt recognition of sepsis and rapid intervention will help reduce the number of deaths occurring annually. The resources that are available on their website support the early identification and management of sepsis. It includes a film and a wide range of learning materials for primary care, secondary care and paediatrics.

2 Dr Ron Daniels: Recognising sepsis

Dr Ron Daniels, Chief Executive of the Global Sepsis Alliance, has filmed a short video for the hub on the importance of recognising sepsis quickly and acting early to not only save lives but also to improve the quality of the lives we do save. He highlights the tools available to recognise and manage sepsis, the Red Flag Sepsis start bundle, and discusses why it is important to know when to act and what to do, and why healthcare professionals and the public need to work collaboratively. 

3 Patient Safety Learning interview with double sepsis survivor, Dave Carson, and his wife Margaret

A Patient Safety Learning interview with sepsis survivor, Dave Carson, and his wife, Margaret Carson, who tell us how things have improved and what more still needs to be done for sepsis.

4 Managing deterioration using NEWS

A series of videos from NHS England Workforce, Training and Education on managing deterioration.

5 Sepsis: National Education Scotland resources

Some of NHS Education for Scotland (NES) sepsis educational resources, including NHS Scotland National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and Sepsis Screening Tool, and the Maternal Sepsis e-Learning Package.

6 NHS England: Improving the blood culture pathway

NHS England’s report into blood culture practices outlines key improvement steps in the pre-analytical phase of the blood culture pathway. Through targeted recommendations to trust chief executives, clinical and pathology staff, there's an opportunity to improve the blood culture pathway, antimicrobial stewardship and patient outcomes from sepsis.

Do you have a resource or story about sepsis to share? We’d love to hear about it - leave a comment below or join the hub to share your own post.