Hywel Dda Health Board mark World Sepsis Day
Hywel Dda Health Board and NHS Wales staff are taking new steps to increase awareness of sepsis and act quickly if they think a patient is developing the potentially life-threatening illness. The local NHS is joining the global effort to mark World Sepsis Day (Thursday 13 September) and increase awareness of among healthcare colleagues and the public. Sepsis is one of the most common, least recognised illnesses in both the developed and developing world. Also known as septicaemia, it is a life threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. Severe sepsis in the UK alone accounts for 37,000 deaths per year, with an estimated 1,850 of those to be in Wales. “If sepsis isn’t recognised or treated promptly, it can lead to multiple organ failure and death,” says Dr Phil Kloer, Director of Clinical Services, Hywel Dda Health Board and member of the 1000 Lives Plus Faculty advising on prevention of sepsis. “However, the worst...