Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Sepsis is a global health threat

First Published:

The World Health Organization says sepsis is a global health threat. Sepsis is a life-threatening illness that causes organs to shut down as a result of an infection.

In Canada one in every 18 deaths involves sepsis. Common symptoms are a high temperature, elevated heart rate and difficulty breathing, plus an existing infection.

And it turns out, a Hamilton doctor is on the front lines in fighting sepsis.

“Hamilton really has a sepsis problem. Part of it is due to the health of our population. Part of it is health sciences in a big hospital, that has people from birth until death.”

Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud works for Hamilton Health Sciences, and has been a sepsis researcher for over 17 years.

Simon is a medical mannequin used to train employees. He hass sepsis caused by pneumonia. A staff member training would have to assess him and figure out what was going on .You can see his eyes are closed, he’s moaning, his pulse is racing, and his breathing is laboured.

Over the past seven years, Dr. Fox-Robichaud and fellow researchers have also been developing a handheld device to help sepsis prediction. The device would look just like a glucose monitor and all you’d have to do it put a drop of blood on it.

She expects the device will be ready for testing within the hospital by next year.

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