Charity calls on public to learn about sepsis

A Cork-based charity is calling on members of the public to educate themselves about sepsis during September, which is Sepsis Awareness Month.

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in Ireland, and the Irish Sepsis Foundation is calling on everyone to help save lives by raising awareness of the disease.

Speaking to The Echo, Cork barrister Doireann O’Mahony, the charity’s founder, explained that sepsis is the term used to describe the body’s life-threatening response to any infection, and that sepsis affects upwards of 15,000 people and takes at least 3,000 adult lives every year in this country.

This September, Ms O’Mahony and her fellow board members will be continuing their mission to improve lives and prevent avoidable deaths by encouraging everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of sepsis, many of which can mimic other common illnesses.

“The mnemonic ‘S.E.P.S.I.S’ may be used to remember the signs and symptoms, which are S for slurred speech or confusion; E for extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever; P for passing no urine; S for severe breathlessness; I for it feels like you’re going to die; and S for skin, mottled or discoloured,” said Ms O’Mahony. 

“If somebody is displaying any one or more of those symptoms, then emergency medical attention should be sought, as time is a critical factor.”

Ms O’Mahony said that sepsis is frequently under-diagnosed at an early stage when it is still potentially reversible.

“That is why awareness of the symptoms is so important,” she said. “If in doubt, always ask the question: ‘Could this be sepsis?’.”

The Irish Sepsis Foundation is hosting Stars for Sepsis at the Rochestown Park Hotel on Friday, September 13.

Among the items up for raffle will be an Ireland jersey signed by Roy Keane, a signed Ireland rugby jersey, and a Liverpool jersey signed by Steven Gerard.

Thanks to sponsorship by Medtronic, Dacent Munch, Biomerieux, and Novus Diagnostics, tickets are free.

Registration is open online.

• For more, see Stars for Sepsis on Eventbrite.