Septicaemia the Invisible Assassin

Septicaemia kills over thirty seven thousand people a year and is the leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, and claims more lives than breast or bowel cancer. Many people are infected after routine surgery, for example, a vasectomy or hernia operation. It occurs when an infection in the bloodstream causes the body's immune system to go haywire and start attacking the body it is meant to protect. Among its victims are Superman actor Christopher Reeve former Bee Gee Maurice Gibb and Pope Paul11.

Despite the number of victims it claims, its symptoms are often unrecognised by doctors and nurses. As a result the window for effective treatment is missed with fatal consequences. Hospital specialists have now launched a campaign to educate medical staff and raise public awareness of the condition. They say that prompt recognition and treatment for all septicaemia cases could halve the death rate at a stroke, saving thousands of lives. Although septicaemia is recognised as a major cause of death it is often not mentioned on death certificates. Instead doctors simply write more general diagnoses such as pneumonia or perforated bowel because patients have not been treated for bacterial infection.

The Warning Signs:

Sudden high fever or unexplained shivering accompanied by drenching sweats. Sometimes sufferers may not look hot, instead the skin may look blotchy or turn blue. Hands and feet may feel cold and clammy. Generally feeling unwell. Headaches and limb pains though the sufferer may have the symptoms of pneumonia or urinary infection.

Abdominal pain, an unexplained rash on any part of the body, nausea,vomiting and diahorrea are part of the cascade of symptoms which lead to dehydration and a fall in blood pressure. Anxiety, drowsiness and confusion. The sufferer may seem vacant or behave strangely. Shortness of breath and rapid heart rate as the body struggles to compensate for loss of blood pressure.

The victims or sufferers need intensive care but in the United Kingdom there is a severe shortage of intensive care beds therefore many victims are doomed to die through lack of targeted funding.

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