A CAMPAIGN to raise awareness of six simple steps has been praised for reducing the number of deaths due to deadly sepsis.

Saturday is World Sepsis Day and the Great Western Hospital is poised to mark a year since the launch of the life-saving Sepsis Six campaign, which has successfully driven blood poisoning deaths down by 38 per cent.

Last autumn, the hospital began work to raise awareness of the deadly condition among staff and the public, and rolled out the campaign highlighting a set of six interventions to be performed within the first hour of severe sepsis being diagnosed.

The steps, including prescribing antibiotics, giving patients oxygen and intravenous fluids, have made a big difference in helping increase survival rates by up to 30 per cent.

Since February, GWH has seen mortality rates drop from 63 per cent to 25 per cent in Swindon.

Staff will celebrate the achievement on Friday at the Academy.

Sepsis nurse Nic Lythell, who has been at the heart of the campaign, said: “With sepsis, the sooner treatment begins the better the outcome is. If is not treated within six hours it can be fatal.

“Treatment within the ‘golden’ first hour reduces the severity of sepsis and the need for a patient to be moved to intensive care.

“It also reduces the risk of morbidity – the degree that sepsis has affected the patient – and mortality.”

Previously known as septicaemia or blood poisoning, sepsis is the body’s reaction to an infection where it attacks its own organs and tissues. It can start from any minor infection, such as a chest or urine infection or an infected bite or wound.

Around 37,000 people each year die of it in the UK but, despite claiming more lives than breast and bowel cancer combined, awareness of the condition is low.

Consultant physician Amanda Pegden said: “I am delighted with the success we have had in tackling sepsis at GWH in the last year and the enthusiasm from staff has been really inspiring.

“The Sepsis Six tool is becoming embedded into the hospital and awareness has improved.

“We are getting more patients treated quicker which has improved patient outcomes. Despite the success however, we are not complacent and myself and the trust’s Sepsis Working Group will continue to push on with the campaign identifying areas where more work is needed.

“This includes continuing our work on adopting international best practice in the way we diagnose, treat and care for patients with sepsis.”

She added: “Raising awareness amongst the public is still vitally important so people are able to spot the signs of sepsis, and treatment can begin sooner. Speed really does save lives.”

To learn more about sepsis, visit the UK Sepsis Trust website at sepsistrust.org.