Sepsis is a life-threating condition, that can develop in any setting. Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection causes damage to healthy tissues and organs. Any type of infection can lead to sepsis (bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic) (1).
Sepsis is an emergency, and is a leading cause of mortality in children in Australia (2). Sepsis related ICU admissions are three times higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (3). Quick diagnosis and treatment can be the difference between life and death (4).
For more information on Sepsis for patients and visitors click on the following link Sepsis (health.wa.gov.au)
References
(1). Global Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis common causes. Available at: https://www.global-sepsis-alliance.org/sepsis ;2021. (2). Shlapbach L, Straney L, Alexander J, MacLaren G, Festa M, Schibler A, Slater A. Mortality related to invasive infections, sepsis, and septic shock in critically ill children in Australia and New Zealand, 2002-13: a multicentre retrospective cohort study. Lancet Infective Disease. 2015; 15:46-54. (3). Ostrowski JA, MacLaren G, Alexander J, et al. The burden of invasive infections in critically ill Indigenous children in Australia. Med J Aust 2017; 206: 78-84. (4). Plunket A, Tong T. Sepsis in Children. BMJ. 2015; 350:h3017(1-12). (5). Vincent J. The clinical challenge of sepsis identification and monitoring. PLoS Med 2016, 13:e1002022.