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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Fight against sepsis goes on

This news post is about 4 years old
 

Two charities have helped fund new equipment which can help children battling the life-threatening condition

Children being treated for the life-threatening illness, sepsis, at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow will benefit from improved treatment from today thanks to vital new equipment provided by two charities.

Sepsis Research (FEAT), the only UK charity dedicated to raising money for sepsis research, and Spifox combined to donate six monitors to the hospital to help early detection of sepsis in vulnerable young children.

Funding for the monitors, which can detect the deadly blood condition, was channelled to the hospital via the charity after it was donated to them by Spifox, the Scottish property industry’s charity which raises money to help children and young people.

The monitors support measurements of the paediatric early warning Scores (PEWS), which record and track an infant or child’s clinical status with regard to changes in heart rate, temperature and blood pressure.

The early appreciation of changes will allow faster detection, response and treatment contributing to improved, effective sepsis diagnosis and management.

The monitors will be used in two acute wards to constantly monitor children for any signs of deterioration in their condition.

Charlotte Cooper, whose nine-month-old daughter Heidi died from sepsis last year said she had "no doubt" the monitors would help save babies' lives.

Charlotte, from Airdrie, wants to see the monitors installed in every paediatric ward in Scotland.

"We need to do whatever we can to stop preventable deaths from sepsis in Scotland," she said.

Charlotte had heard of sepsis but did not know the signs or symptoms. "One minute you are told your baby is very sick and the next minute she has gone. It's so fast. The aftermath is one of disbelief, shock and struggling to understand how something like this can happen."

The monitors were accepted on behalf of the hospital by senior staff nurse Sharon Pate who said: “In a very busy paediatric word it is vital all our patients are monitored regularly and closely for signs of deterioration. The addition of these new monitors will greatly improve our ability to monitor patients and provide vital care.”

Colin Graham, chief operating officer for Sepsis Research, said: “We’re delighted to have collaborated with Spifox to deliver this equipment to the children’s hospital.

“Sepsis is a very dangerous illness which can attack anyone from the tiniest babies to older adults. We hope these monitors will help hospital staff as they care for the young patients by detecting sepsis at the earliest possible moment and, by doing so, help the children to recover fully and quickly.”

Spifox trustee David Mackenzie added: “As a Scottish Children’s charity, Spifox are delighted to be able to provide these six monitors for the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. It is great to know that they will assist hugely in the early detection of sepsis in babies and young children.”