Sepsis is one of the leading causes
of death in hospital patients
worldwide and severe sepsis
causes around 37,000 deaths in the
UK every year (Daniels, 2011). This is more
than breast and bowel cancer combined, yet
awareness of the condition remains limited.
Despite various campaigns and the
availability of good evidence for treatment,
the death rate associated with sepsis
remains high, mainly due to poor identification
and delayed interventions.
Defined as “a life-threatening condition
that arises when the body’s response to
infection injures its own tissues and
organs” (Czura, 2011), sepsis can present in
any patient and in any clinical setting. As
such, all nurses need to be aware of its
development, how it can be identified and
the care patients need to survive.