Sepsis Kills... Have You Read Any Ambulances Recently?

Why hello again my dear reader chums, it has been a while but here I am yet again embarked on my latest great adventure, namely my head-on collision with one of the UK’s biggest killers, none other than sepsis.

Now the dictionary defines sepsis as and I quote:

“A serious condition resulting from the presence of harmful microorganisms in the blood or other tissues, and the body’s response to their presence, potentially leading to the malfunctioning of various organs, shock, and death.”

Now call me old-fashioned but I would say that is actually very clear as to what happens and the consequences. The facts are upon research quite blunt, it is claimed that it will prove fatal in around 24.4% of people or as I like to call it 1 in 4, and even worse septic shock will prove fatal in 34.7%, as I like to call it 1 in 3.

Now when I was a teenager one of my favourite ditties was called “I Am the One in Ten” by a small pop band combo called UB40 from my own present happy hunting ground, none other than good old Birmingham City. The song was about unemployment statistics and I can vividly thinking back in the days of Margaret Thatcher’s broken Britain to myself. Well, I just hope that I get better odds than 1 in 10, when I try and get a job.

Now not being funny but the odds for not surviving sepsis are pretty darned poor in comparison so it is absolutely vital with this bad boy that you know what to look for. And even more important don’t sit there and hope that it might go away, because it does not. Indeed it is one of those nasty killers that preys upon your lack of action and before you know it, it is too late. When frankly it could have been sorted if caught in time.

Now, my apologies for sounding like a broken record but having faced this now 5 times and actually having it identified as being sepsis on 3 out of 5 occasions I was treated with antibiotics and within days I was back to normal, (whatever that means). Had I not reacted myself to the warning signs in time I would have been a goner long before now, indeed the last time it happened it was because of my nurse friend she actually made me go to the hospital and just as well that I did. Life as I have discovered is a game of fine margins, and your survival or maybe equally important for those that you love and care for, is predicated on you making the right decision.

So make sure that you know what the top 3 warning signs are, first is severe difficulty breathing, for example you struggle to speak without pausing, gasping, or choking. Second your lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey, on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of the hands. The third flag is feeling very drowsy more than usual and finding it more difficult to wake up. From those 3 the only symptom that I displayed was the drowsiness, it began to be all-consuming and within the last 24 hours before I went to A and E, I really noticed it but luckily notice it I did. If I did not know any better through previous experience I would have said oh well it is Friday night I am knackered after another glass of wine I will sleep like a baby. And that is how easy it is to go from taking an active decision and saving your life and not taking an active decision and end up losing your life.

Just to put sepsis into perspective it is one of the UK’s biggest killers by far for example it claims more than 48,000 deaths a year that is more than lung, breast, and bowel cancer combined. It is the third biggest killer in US hospitals, tragically it actually has the highest mortality rates with both the very young and the very old. So, my friends please be aware and if in doubt, make sure you act, sepsis does not give you the luxury of that most precious commodity that of time itself, so do not be shy, make a damned nuisance of yourself if need be, and save a life.

One final thought as I sit here on a Sunday morning in a very nice NHS suite in the Farries ward of Warwick hospital, where ironically I am in what is called an end-of-life ward where people come to enjoy some dignity and comfort as they end their long journey on this wonderful world. It has a silent dignity to the place that can sense that there is a uniqueness to the fact that one journey will end and another will begin.

The quiet demeanour of the visitors reflects the sadness of the inevitable passing of those that they love, but the simple truth is that we all have our time on this world. However, the trick is to quite simply not give up the ghost until you choose it should not be the choice of a rebellious cell within your own body.

So, next time you see an ambulance just read the side or back of it, it carries a very simple message SEPSIS KILLS, probably the best marketing slogan around. Two simple words, tells you what it is, tells you what it does.

So just make sure you and those you care for make a strong mental note of the message, I am very glad that I did.