Dr Ron Daniels on Sepsis: What You Need To Know

Sepsis, often referred to as ‘blood poisoning, is the body’s abnormal reaction to an infection, causing it to attack its own organs. It affects approximately 150,000 people in the UK every year, 23,000 of which are children. It can also be life-threatening, with recent figures estimating that it claims the lives of 44,000 people in the UK every year. This is more than the number of people who die from breast cancer, bowel cancer, prostate cancer, road traffic accidents, HIV and AIDS combined.

Yet despite these staggering figures, sepsis is still not as known as other conditions, such as cancer. This lack of awareness means it is often referred to as ‘the silent killer’ and is missed. In fact, if it is diagnosed in a timely fashion and appropriate treatment is given, most patients made a complete recovery.

It’s therefore crucial that people are more alert to sepsis, which can affect anyone at any time.

At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we have investigated medical negligence claims on behalf of both children and adults who have been affected by sepsis. Some have survived, but been left with devastating injuries due to failures in their treatment, whilst others have sadly lost their lives. We are committed to raising awareness of this condition, which can be treated so easily.

In April 2016, Ipek Tugcu, a Senior Solicitor in our Medical Negligence Team, sat down with Dr Ron Daniels, Founder and CEO of the UK Sepsis Trust and a Consultant in Critical Care and Anaesthesia, to discuss sepsis. Ipek and Dr Daniels have previously worked together in the past, to increase awareness of sepsis and try to improve standards. On this occasion, they discussed:

- What the UK Sepsis Trust do;
- Typical symptoms of sepsis in both adults in children;
- Why sepsis is still relatively unknown;
- How sepsis can be treated;
- How medical mistakes are made;
- Long-term complications;
- Hopes in the future for sepsis care;
- Recent media attention, including the tragic cases involving William Mead and Maude Watkins, the daughter of actor Jason Watkins;
- Ways in which you can help to raise awareness and improve care.