GPs to be given new monitoring protocol for sepsis, which kills 3,000 people every year – The Irish Times

The equivalent of the population of the town of Bantry in Co Cork – 3,000 people – dies from sepsis every year, according to the lead author of a new GP’s guide to the disease.

It is the leading cause of death in Ireland with more than 15,000 cases each year, and almost 20 percent of these patients die from the disease. “It can affect any of us at any time,” says Dr Ellen Hayes of the Irish College of GPs.

Although sepsis is a particular risk in acute hospitals, an estimated 80 percent of cases arise in the community. “Physicians therefore have unique opportunities but face unique challenges in quickly identifying and referring patients with suspected sepsis,” she said. It mainly affected people “at the extreme age – children and small babies and especially people over 75”.

Sepsis is an abnormal immune response; The most commonly associated infections are found in the lungs, urinary tract, skin and stomach. Although doctors do not have a definitive diagnostic test, the new practice update, issued by the Irish College of GPs, comes with an algorithm to help GPs speed up the identification of possible cases. It is a tool to assist physicians, but does not replace clinical judgment, Dr. Hayes said.

During a briefing, she said early indications can be quite subtle, with mild symptoms often similar to other conditions such as flu. She acknowledged the impact on patients and families: “It is a leading cause of death, but also debilitating psychological symptoms that persist even after hospital discharge.”

Ireland has suffered a series of high-profile deaths from sepsis, including the death of 16-year-old Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) in 2022. A report by retired judge Frank Clarke found that nurses and doctors at UHL where Ms Johnston was treated were “unaware” of the risk of sepsis she was facing.

Mr Clarke found there was a gap of almost 14 hours between her presentation at hospital and treatment, despite being seen by a GP who questioned the possibility of sepsis and a nurse who identified the risk of sepsis. The national protocol followed by hospitals suggests that treatment should be done within an hour.

The new advice highlights the need for people to get vaccinated against a range of conditions such as flu – especially the elderly or those with compromised immune systems – as this is the most effective way to reduce the number of cases.

HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Colm Henry said the new advice was “an important milestone” that would help GPs. The problem must also be seen in the context of antimicrobial resistance and over-prescribing of antibiotics, which have often made infections, especially sepsis, more difficult to treat.

He said that for GPs the challenge of identifying sepsis is more difficult than in hospitals, due to much more common conditions that mimic the disease. The focus is on “early recognition; early intervention”.

It is important that people know and recognize symptoms that are signs of sepsis and then see a doctor urgently, the Irish College of GPs advises.

“The symptoms are really common and often very non-specific and vague, and are similar in children and adults. So it could be a little bit different,” the chief medical officer, Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. General practitioners – in the early detection of sepsis.”