It comes as September is Sepsis Awareness Month.
A Newbridge woman who lost her mother to sepsis has spoken out in an effort to raise awareness of the infection.
It comes as September is Sepsis Awareness Month.
Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency when the body has an extreme harmful reaction to the infection.
Speaking on Kildare Today, Diane Buckley said her mother's illness began as a typical cold and flu virus:
"It was a very typical cold and flu winter virus, a lot of people in the family seemed to have the same thing at the same time, my mammy's body just reacted differently and she went into sepsis so quickly.
From an initial headache symptom, Diane's mam was presumed to have had a chest infection, but "within hours" she went into septic shock, with her life "suddenly at risk".
"What I want to get across to everyone is that sepsis is so time sensitive, if you think there is any decline or think an infection isn't clearing as it should, you can't be too careful, don't be afraid to ask for help, don't be afraid to ask 'could this be sepsis'?.
"I didn't know that you only need one symptom of sepsis for it to be sepsis, if we had known a couple of hours earlier, we could've avoided the septic shock and complete devastation that came from her death."
Diane, who is a healthcare assistant, admits that her knowledge of the infection has increased as a result of what has happened to her mam, remarking that awareness and education are key tools for avoiding any serious medical emergency as a result of sepsis.
"It's such a prevalent thing that education and awareness needs to be out there."
Yesterday (16 September), Kfm News spoke to clinical lead of the HSE Sepsis Programme Dr Michael O' Dwyer, to learn more about it.
The word SEPSIS is an acronym to aid people in understanding the signs of sepsis and septic shock.
S for Slurred speech or confusion, E for Extreme temperature pain, or fever, P for Passing no urine (all day), S for Skin changes and rashes, I for "I feel like I might die" and S for Shortness of breath.
Further information about sepsis can be viewed on HSE.ie
The full interview with Diane Buckley can be heard below:
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