World Sepsis Day 2022

9th Sep 2022

Blackrock Clinic is proud to support World Sepsis Day 2022, an initiative designed to raise awareness of sepsis and spread knowledge on prevention and recognition of symptoms.

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication that occurs when the body begins to attack its own tissues and organs as the result of an infection. This illness affects between 47 to 50 million people per year and causes someone’s death somewhere in the world every 2.8 seconds. In 2019 alone, nearly 13,000 Irish people were diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock, and approximately one in five of these patients died from the condition. Those who survive sepsis often suffer from its consequences for the rest of their lives.

Committed to the prevention of all infections

The best way to prevent sepsis is to stop the infection from developing to begin with. At Blackrock Clinic, we are deeply committed to the prevention of all infections and are expertly equipped to do so.

Some – but not all – of the steps we take include:

• Screening all incoming patients for infection
• Providing ongoing education through the Infection Control Team for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals
• Adhering to strict decontamination policies and procedures
• Using isolation protocols for patients with resistant organisms

We are also the only hospital to provide treatment only in single-patient rooms which reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

Exceptionally low infection rates

We are proud that infection rates within Blackrock Clinic are exceptionally low. These rates are measured against national and international benchmarks.

Early recognition and treatment are absolutely crucial in saving the life of a sepsis patient. It’s important to keep an eye out for key symptoms including:

• Shivering from fever or chills
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Pale, mottled or discoloured skin
• Sleep, difficulty rousing from sleep, confusion
• It feels like you’re going to die
• Shortness of breath

Sepsis is often not recognised in its early stages which can be detrimental considering this is the best time to treat it. If you notice signs of sepsis in yourself or a loved one, trust your instincts and get emergency medical care as soon as possible.

Team & Technology

At Blackrock Clinic, our expert team of doctors, consultants, nurses and healthcare staff along with our state-of-the-art technology and facilities enables us to provide patients with complete sepsis care.

Sepsis is one of the world’s most preventable illnesses. Let’s all do our part this World Sepsis Day to reduce the impact of this devastating disease.