This Sepsis Awareness Month, we sat down with our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Andrew Retter, to talk about the evolution of intensive care, the challenges healthcare professionals face when diagnosing sepsis, and the innovations that could transform patient outcomes.
Q: What are the most common causes of sepsis, and who is most at risk?
A: Sepsis is a shape-shifter. It can affect anyone. Newborns and the very elderly are particularly vulnerable, as are people with weakened immune systems, transplant patients, and those on immune-modulating drugs. Burn patients are also at higher risk because our skin is our first defense against infections. Large burns disrupt that barrier, putting enormous strain on the body.
Q: Why is sepsis so challenging to manage in intensive care?
A: Sepsis can be both easy and hard to diagnose. It’s not a single disease. It has subtypes, and the patient’s physiology changes over time. A treatment that helps in early sepsis might harm in later stages. That variability makes developing tests and treatments difficult.
Q: Has the approach to diagnosing sepsis changed in the last decade?
A: The current definition, Sepsis-3, focuses on a dysregulated immune response to infection. But no one’s cracked the perfect diagnostic yet.
We still need better tools to be brought into hospitals worldwide, to not only identify sepsis earlier, but also to help us tailor and monitor treatment.
Q: Why is public awareness of sepsis still so low?
A: Most infections don’t progress to sepsis, so people may shrug off early signs. But sepsis is the great mimic. It can look like many other conditions; that makes it easy to miss until it’s severe. Early recognition is critical, because the sooner we start treatment, the better the outcome.
There are also a lot of misconceptions tied to sepsis, especially that it only affects certain groups. Sepsis can affect anyone. But when it’s caught early, the consequences are often preventable.
The following symptoms might indicate sepsis
(Source: World Sepsis Day)
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever
- Passing no urine all day
- Severe breathlessness
- It feels like you’re going to die
- Skin mottled or discolored
Q: Can you share an example that highlights the importance of early diagnosis?
A: Sadly, there are many cases, including high-profile ones in the press, where delayed diagnosis led to tragic outcomes. These stories are powerful reminders of why early recognition and rapid treatment are so important.
Remember to ask: “Could it be sepsis?”
Sepsis is always a medical emergency. To find out more about sepsis go to:
www.worldsepsisday.org
www.sepsis.org
www.sepsistrust.org
About Nu.Q® NETs:
Volition has developed Nu.Q® NETs – a test to detect diseases associated with NETosis, such as sepsis. It has the potential to help doctors accurately diagnose disease and could also help predict disease severity, measure the treatment response and monitor disease progression. Find out more about Nu.Q® NETs here.
