Sepsis

Sepsis is the body’s life-threatening reaction to infection. Globally, each year, 49 million patients get sepsis and 11 million people die.

Information and resources about sepsis in Aotearoa New Zealand can be found on the Sepsis Trust NZ website: sepsis.org.nz. The Sepsis Trust NZ aims to prevent unnecessary deaths through increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis. They do this through promoting clinical tools, providing education, and fundraising to build awareness and sepsis research capability. If you would like to help through fundraising or volunteering, visit their website to find out more.

Stocktake of sepsis management in Aotearoa New Zealand

In June 2022, a stocktake of sepsis management in Aotearoa New Zealand was completed by Synergia on behalf of the Health Quality & Safety Commission. It explored the current clinical practices, guidance and protocols used in public hospitals, private surgical hospitals, ambulance services and a selection of emergency and urgent care clinics.

A report of the findings was published in September 2022 and is available on the Commission’s website.

The stocktake highlights variation in the way sepsis is managed and monitored in these settings.

The report makes several recommendations for action, which focus on keeping patients at the centre of sepsis planning, from prevention to post-discharge support.

Findings of the stocktake will help inform future quality improvement initiatives in the management of sepsis at a local and national level, and progression of the National Sepsis Action plan. 

World Sepsis Day – 13 September

 Join us to raise awareness of sepsis by marking World Sepsis Day in your workplace

World Sepsis Day is on 13 September every year. It was established in 2012 by the Global Sepsis Alliance and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against sepsis.

World Sepsis Day resources can be found here: worldsepsisday.org/wsd2022. This World Sepsis Day sees the launch of the Raise the Flag programme at Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury. Congratulations to the interdisciplinary multiservice group at Canterbury for this excellent quality and patient safety initiative.