Stop Sepsis. Save Lives

Released: 13/09/2017

Today is World Sepsis Day—an initiative dedicated to increase public and professional awareness of sepsis—a condition which accounts for at least eight million deaths worldwide annually.

Sepsis—a complication which causes our body’s immune system to go into overdrive in response to an infection—claims more lives than any cancer around the world. It is more likely to be fatal than heart attacks, strokes or major trauma.

Preventing sepsis is critical. By preventing as many infections as possible, we can reduce the prevalence of sepsis, which claims the lives of millions of people each year, including around 3000 Australians, and costs healthcare systems around the world billions of dollars.

There are a number of ways in which infection can be minimised and prevented:
- practising good hand hygiene
- adhering to infection control guidelines and standards
- monitoring infection effectively
- maintaining a clean clinical environment
- providing immunisation for vaccine-preventable diseases
- prescribing antibiotics wisely.

How do we fight resistance?

As consumers—only using antibiotics as instructed by a healthcare professional.
As healthcare professionals—enhancing infection prevention and control; and managing the prescription of antibiotics effectively.