Equipment which will assist medical and nursing staff diagnose a potentially life-threatening condition has been donated to the Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS) by island charity Mannin Sepsis.
The lactate monitor will be used to carry out a test which can quickly assist in the diagnosis of sepsis. The monitors are already installed in ambulances and now thanks to the donation, staff at the out-of-hours GP service are being trained to use theirs.
Diagnosing patients with sepsis is challenging, as symptoms are not always specific. The device will help detect the condition on-the-spot, to ensure patients are given immediate treatment and increasing their chances of a full recovery.
The Mannin Sepsis team is dedicated to raising awareness of the condition, and was set up in memory of Island teenager Ann Struthers, who died from sepsis in 2013 at the age of 18.
The monitor will be officially presented to Dr John Snelling, Clinical Lead at MEDS on Tuesday 20 March by Ann’s parents Dee and John Struthers. Media are invited to attend the presentation at the MEDS centre, Noble’s Hospital at 10am.
Dee said:
‘We are very honoured on behalf of Mannin Sepsis Charity in memory of our daughter Ann, to be able to donate this piece of equipment. This monitor will assist in the early diagnosis of sepsis, a condition which requires effective treatment here and now. Perhaps if Ann’s blood had been tested with such a monitor back in 2013, we would be sharing a different story today.’
Dr Snelling said:
‘We are very grateful for this generous donation. Sepsis is still an uncommon condition, thankfully, but when contracted, can become very dangerous very quickly. Quick and accurate diagnosis is extremely important, and this monitor will help our medical and nursing staff enormously when seeing acutely unwell patients. We are keen to put it to good use and whilst we sincerely hope we won’t have to use it often, we are greatly encouraged that what is often a tricky diagnosis to make, will be made easier and more accurate with this machine.'
He added:
’Mannin Sepsis is doing a fantastic job, raising public awareness through its campaign which urges people to ask: ‘Could it be Sepsis?’ I hope that the publicity around this wonderful donation will further enhance that awareness.’
