In Australia, a substantial proportion of sepsis cases originate in the community, with primary care settings such as general practice, urgent care clinics and school clinics often being the first point of contact for people experiencing its early symptoms. Yet sepsis can be difficult to recognise as early signs and symptoms often mimic conditions like influenza and gastroenteritis, leading to missed or delayed diagnosis.
Many sepsis survivors, and families who have lost loved ones to sepsis, report that during their first call for help the early signs and symptoms of sepsis were not recognised.
To strengthen the frontline response, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, The George Institute for Global Health, Sepsis Australia and Medcast launched a free online education module for primary health care professionals.
On 18 June, Medcast hosted a live webinar to launch the module and reinforce the vital role of primary care in recognising sepsis early and initiating urgent treatment.
The one-hour course is now available online, CPD-approved, and designed to support early diagnosis of community-acquired sepsis. Additional downloadable clinical resources are also provided to assist GPs and primary care teams in recognising and responding to both sepsis and post-sepsis syndrome.