WORLD Sepsis Day on 13 Sep is an important reminder that the disease remains one of the most urgent and under-recognised challenges facing our healthcare system, said the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, as it calls on health professionals to help reduce its impact.
The Commission has released a report ahead of the day, revealing that sepsis is more prevalent, deadly and costly than previously understood, prompting renewed calls to improve early detection, data quality and clinical care across the healthcare system.
The Sepsis Epidemiology Report analysed over 900,000 sepsis-related hospitalisations in Australian public hospitals from 2013-14 to 2022-23.
Among the key findings was that one in three people hospitalised for sepsis also had diabetes, while one in six had kidney disease.
It also found that sepsis hospitalisation rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were double that of non-Indigenous people, and there is a higher risk of readmission linked to rural location and socioeconomic disadvantage.
"The link between complex chronic illness, socioeconomic disadvantage and higher rates of sepsis must shape how we deliver care," said Conjoint Professor, Carolyn Hullick, Chief Medical Officer at the Commission.
"This data gives us a clearer picture of who is most at risk and how to intervene earlier."
"Early recognition, timely treatment, and well-coordinated follow-up care are vital to saving lives and reducing long-term impacts," Professor Hullick said.
The report also showed a promising sign of progress, with a decline in the proportion of sepsis-related deaths occurring in emergency departments.
"This suggests a growing impact from sepsis clinical pathways and education," Professor Hullick noted.
Pharmacists working in a community setting play a role in identifying symptoms of sepsis and referring patients displaying these symptoms to acute care, while hospital pharmacists help manage patients with sepsis.
"Ahead of World Sepsis Day, I encourage you to read the Sepsis Epidemiology Report and reflect on how its insights can strengthen practice and support patients in your setting," Professor Hullick said.
"Together, we can turn the tide on sepsis in Australia," she concluded.
The report is available HERE. KB
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