Charity founder warns about dangers of sepsis

The founder of a charity, who was recently honoured by the Lord Mayor of Cork, has drawn attention to the dangers of a disease often diagnosed too late to be effectively treated.

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition which occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs. Sepsis is responsible for approximately 20% of hospital deaths in Ireland.

Cork barrister Doireann O’Mahony, who specialises in medical negligence cases, founded the charity the Irish Sepsis Foundation last September.

Ms O’Mahony was one six people to receive a prestigious award last week from the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Deirdre Forde.

The award was given in recognition of her commitment to raising public awareness of and her for those affected by sepsis.

Speaking to The Echo, Ms O’Mahony said she was delighted that the award would bring more awareness to the charity, and she hoped that the more people knew about sepsis, the safer they would be.

“I am dedicating my Lord Mayor’s award to the memory of Tracey Corcoran, a young Cork woman who lost her life to sepsis this time three years ago, whose family are doing amazing work for the charity,” she said.

“This is for Tracey, and indeed for everyone who has been affected by sepsis. In honour of them, we will continue our work for the cause.” 

There are at least 15,000 cases of sepsis in Ireland every year and at least 3,000 deaths.

According to the Irish Sepsis Foundation, if a person has sepsis then time is key. If not treated immediately, sepsis can result in tissue and organ failure, leading to the loss of digits and limbs, and in some cases, death. However, with early diagnosis, sepsis can be treated.

The foundation says that in summertime it is important to take precautions and reduce the risk of contracting infections that could potentially lead to sepsis.

Outdoor activities come with the risk of injuries, and outdoor environments may make it harder to keep open wounds clean. Bug bites are common at this time of year, and tick bites can transmit infection. Recreational water illnesses can be caused by germs in water, which can be found in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, and so on.

Second degree sunburn can carry the risk of infection if blisters break. Travelling also increases the risk of infection because enclosed spaces like planes and trains can expose you to viruses if a fellow traveller is ill.

The message from the Irish Sepsis Foundation is that summer in Ireland is too short not to get out and enjoy, and it is encouraging people to have fun during the good weather, but to be sensible about it too.

“It is so important to that every time an infection is prevented, the risk of sepsis is prevented too,” Ms O’Mahony said.