Think Sepsis!
- dellanienash9
- Nov 4
- 2 min read
🌼 Awareness & Gratitude 🌼
When I swapped with Terry on Friday night (31st October), I noticed Maya’s PICC line site looking red, sore and Maya was shivering (rigors).
It had only been inserted a few days earlier (28th October) under general anaesthetic, so some discomfort was expected — but as a parent, you just know when something doesn’t look right.
I raised my concern with the nurse looking after Maya, and I’m so grateful they took it seriously straight away. They checked her blood gases, took samples to rule out infection, and kept a close eye on her throughout the night.
Thankfully, all is well so far 💛 — but it was a reminder of how quickly things can change for children like Maya, whose immune systems are fragile after chemotherapy.
To all the nurses, doctors, and healthcare teams who listen, act promptly, and never dismiss a parent’s gut feeling — thank you. Your vigilance saves lives. 🙏
As oncology parent, we have been trained to use our “clinical judgment”’and advocacy on our part. You tend to pick up on early potential signs of infection — redness, soreness, shivers, fever (a spike in temperature) and a recent PICC line insertion — which are red flags for possible line-associated sepsis or local infection.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened and why it was handled so appropriately:
1. Recognising Early Signs
Even though some discomfort and redness can occur post-insertion, a parent’s awareness that this could also indicate infection was key. In paediatric oncology patients especially, immune suppression makes even small infections serious.
2. Prompt Escalation
By immediately reporting any concern to the nurse, early intervention ensued. Escalating at the first sign of change is vital because sepsis can progress rapidly, especially in children undergoing chemotherapy.
3. Appropriate Response
The team’s actions — checking temperature, respiration rate, oxygen saturation levels, pulse rate, blood gases, infection markers (like CRP, ESR, WCC), and close monitoring — align perfectly with sepsis screening protocols.
4. Continued Observation
Even though Maya remained stable (“all is well so far”), keeping a close eye over the next 24–48 hours is important, since sepsis symptoms can evolve (fever, tachycardia, changes in perfusion, or new pain around the line).
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