To ask if you know the signs of sepsis?

[SE13Mummy]

This news story has been in the press, on the radio/TV this week because Sam, the son of friends of ours, died of sepsis. He shouldn't have.

Chatting to other friends, it seems as though very many people have never heard of sepsis although most are aware of the symptoms of meningitis. One of the reasons the Morrish family have gone public with their experience is to raise awareness of sepsis; Sam wouldn't have died if he'd received antibiotics.

The Sepsis Trust has lots of information, including this symptoms checklist.

Old link doesn't work, try here

sepsistrust.org/public/do-i-have-sepsis/new-paeds-sepsis-card-4/#main

I was terrified of sepsis when dd was having chemo. But luckily at the slightest sign of infection she would have got help.
Others would just think they are ill and probably not think much of it and not get the antibiotics early enough. It's very scary.

Thanks for posting an up-to-date link DeadGood. There's also the SAM leaflet which is a useful tool for parents to use if they're unsure about their child's symptoms.

I haven't rtft but I know. My son recently had it.

I am also in the process of starting a formal complaint to our local hospital as they didn't spot them until I told them and originally treated me like I was paranoid and over demanding. My son has been ill a lot in his life - over 70 admissions for infections - but it's the sickest he's ever been and I'm having real trouble coming to terms with it.

The thing that scares me the very most is that he was lucky because he had a mum and Step-Dad who knew what to look for and to stand up to the medical staff. So many families wouldn't have been in the same position and it's easy to see how deaths could occur in the same situation.

i do now my dh sister was found dead last year from sepsis her immediate family didnt realise how seriously ill she was it killed her frighteningly quickly too she was alive and well when we saw her on the saturday and she was found dead on the thursday morning .

I had it 4 years ago, I thought I had the flu, after 3 days until in bed I asked my son to take me to the hospital because I was concerned about dehydration. It was touch and go from there on.

Six years ago this Christmas. Here's a link to an article in which Sam's mum shares his story...
www.mummysginfund.co.uk/sam-please-read-share-sepsis-awareness/

I have a condition which makes sepsis a constant fear. I have had it 5 times and been in icu twice. It is always in the back of my mind that it could happen again and it has made me anxious about my ds as well. He is perfectly healthy, thank God, but whenever he is ill I find myself paranoidly taking his temperature all the time.He teases me about it
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I know, but only because my dad had it earlier this year. I had no idea then

I still think more training is needed in this area. I was on HDU with a bad chest infection this year (Asthma). I woke up one morning and when the nurse asked how I was I said "I feel fluey". I spent the best part of that day sleeping. Breathing really fast despite being on oxygen and regular nebulisers', fast heartrate and sweating like nobody's business. The doc doing the ward rounds put it down to a virus on top of what I was already fighting and downgraded me so to speak. I got moved to a different hospital that evening and sent the nurses and doctors into a flying panic when my temperature wouldn't stop climbing. Was started on the iv paracetamol and antibiotics and thankfully I was okay.

The last time I was admitted a young lady had also been sent in by her gp. She'd been sent home by A&E saying she just had the flu - not even 48hrs later she had pneumonia and sepsis and they only picked that up because a temp spike in her routine obs prompted them to bring the docs down and do blood cultures etc. When she asked the nurse how they'd missed it they said "I dont know. Maybe it's because you looked okay".

I read the sepsis six thing before and the one thing that stood out for me was the one where it said to tell the medics that you're concerned about sepsis. Won't most docs just think you're a bit batshit and convince you it couldn't possibly be that anyway?

Yes, because my dh could have this so easily due to the disease he has.
So sorry to hear about Sam.

I've had it twice. Once from an infection in a vein from a canular sight. The doctor caught it quick. Second time from pneumonia, and it was missed twice by two different GPS. It wasn't until I collapsed that the out of hours GP sent me to hospital. It's terrible that a lot of doctors are missing it. They have introduced the sepsis 6 at the hospital which is great but I think that GPS need more training.

hanban what were your symptoms?

They only caught the young lady's sepsis because of the temp spike and the only symptoms she said she had of it was her legs aching. Which made the medics attribute it to the flu even more so.

I was hospitalised with this last year on Boxing day. I had what I thought was back ache for a few days then developed a high temp of 39.6C but shivering with cold despite being wrapped in blankets. Didnt eat for three days. Realised it was actually a kidney infection but put off going to the docs as it was Christmas (I know, idiot) and A&E is a 60 minute drive away. I planned on visiting Out of Hours on Boxing Day morning but by 4am I was in agony, hadn't wee'd for 24 hours despite feeling like I needed to. Called 111 and they called an ambulance out. I have hypertension but my BP was down to 90/54 and I was tachycardic. 2 Morphine injections in the ambo,I was put on antibiotics immediately, my kidneys had decided to give up working. I was in hospital for 4 days but ended up discharging myself (long story but I couldn't be away from home any longer)

I hadn't heard of Sepsis before that but I'm very pro active now in raising awareness.

I do unfortunately the hospital my 56 year old mum was in having being admitted with anemia didn't and she passed away.

I do unfortunately the hospital my 56 year old mum was in having being admitted with anemia didn't and she passed away.

I do unfortunately the hospital my 56 year old mum was in having being admitted with anemia didn't and she passed away.

I lost my 3 year old dd to sepsis in 2014, she had a basic viral infection and strep A bacterial pneumonia superimposed on top. She was blue lighted to hospital and died 8 hours later of sepsis even though she was responding to medication. She went from argueing with the nurses over a pink cup into cardiac arrest in 20 mins.

Phillipa12

My friends 3 year old DS died in February from sepsis. Started as an ear infection and the GP wouldn't prescribe antibiotics.

Absolutely devastating and made worse as it should never have been missed

More on Sam's story in today's Guardian.

Thanks for re-bumping OP. Haven't seen this thread before.

My elderly mum nearly died from sepsis 4 months ago. All began with a urinary infection dragging on due to kidney stone shifting.

She rang me in the early hours one morning in agony, freezing cold and being sick. I called an ambulance (i live 40 mins away) straight away (although she said don't ). The ambulance got to her within 20 mins and the hospital were great at diagnosing sepsis very quickly and starting the heavy duty ABs - a belated thank you to The Horton in Banbury She was in hospital for 6 weeks. She's still not really better. Very slow recovery.

I knew nothing about sepsis until mum got it. Great thread OP.