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On the occasion of World Sepsis Day, PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, has underscored the significant role that over-the-counter (OTC) antiseptics can play in preventing sepsis, potentially saving the NHS millions of pounds each year. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where the body's immune system overreacts to an infection, causing damage to tissues and organs. Early recognition and treatment are crucial, as sepsis can rapidly escalate without prompt care. Symptoms of sepsis include confusion or slurred speech, fever, severe breathlessness, blotchy or mottled skin, and a lack of urination. PAGB emphasised that using OTC medicines early on can help prevent infections from worsening and potentially leading to serious conditions like sepsis. Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, stated: "Early prevention is always the best treatment for conditions that could potentially lead to sepsis. "If you don't get the right care for sepsis quickly it can be life-threatening so it's essential to seek immediate help if you or someone else has any symptoms.

The UK recorded an estimated 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 62,314 in 2019, a new report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are less likely to respond to treatment and can cause serious complications, including bloodstream infections, sepsis and hospitalisation. The national surveillance data published by the UKHSA showed that E. coli - a common cause of urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, accounted for 65 per cent of antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections in the last five years. The English Surveillance of Antibiotic Prescribing and Utilisation Report (ESPAUR) highlighted a stark disparity in infection rates. People in the most deprived communities were 42.6 per cent more likely to experience an antibiotic-resistant infection in 2023 compared to those in the least deprived areas, a significant rise from 29.4 per cent in 2019. Overall, resistant infection rates in the most deprived areas of England increased by 9.5 per cent between 2019 and 2023.