JUST ASK, COULD IT BE SEPSIS?

Sepsis is a life-threatening response to any infection that progresses quickly and requires immediate attention. Know the signs and symptoms (one or all of the following may be present).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SEPSIS

Rapid breathing

Rapid heart rate

Confusion, slurred speech or disorientation

Fever or shivering

Muscle pain

Not passing urine

Discoloured skin

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!

Early-stage sepsis:

Sufferers are generally unwell, may display one or all of the signs and symptoms, feel worse than when previously sick and there is concern
Contact healthdirect at https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ OR Call 1800 022 222 (24 hours) and ask…could it be sepsis?

Later stage sepsis:

Sufferers are seriously unwell, likely to display significant changes in multiple signs and symptoms, feel like they might die and there is serious concern
CALL 000 Ambulance or if quicker go immediately to the closest Emergency Department and ask….could it be sepsis?

Key considerations:

If concerned get advice immediately
If seriously concerned get treatment immediately
Inflammation due to infection is normal but in sepsis the inflammation response is uncontrolled, it may start mildly but rapidly escalate to critical illness
Sepsis is difficult to recognise as it may not have an obvious cause, it can look like viral or bacterial illnesses such as flu, gastro or urinary tract infection
Trust your intuition…if it doesn’t feel right TAKE ACTION and always ask…could it be sepsis?

symptom checker Call 000

Management of adult sepsisin resource-limited settings: global expertconsensus statements using a Delphi method

Sepsis remains a major global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to trained clinicians, diagnostics, and infrastructure is often limited. To address this, the Asia Pacific Sepsis Alliance led a global Delphi consensus process, bringing together clinicians and experts from diverse settings to develop practical, evidence-informed statements for the management of adult sepsis in resource-limited environments. Published in Intensive Care Medicine (2025), these statements are designed to complement the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines and support clinical decision-making in areas where standard protocols may not be feasible.

Read the study: HERE
Visual aids available to download and share.