Results 1,641-1,660 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the witnesses for taking time out of their own schedules to be here with us here. I also thank them for the time they have given over recent years to dealing with this issue. Recently, I had to deal with a grandparent whose eight-year-old grandson died from sepsis. Unfortunately, he probably did not get to hospital on time. It was just one of those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: The evidence is that as a result of these protocols, there has been a substantial decrease in deaths as a result of sepsis.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: This has been a reduction of 45% to 50%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: It is a substantial reduction anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Just on the time period, in the context of the case I had to deal with recently, there was a very short timeframe between the person becoming ill and being transferred to hospital. I presume the timeframe involved varies from case to case.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: One of the problems, however, with parents, or with all of us, is that there is not a great deal of information available on the symptoms of sepsis.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: The witnesses, therefore, are looking for a major campaign to highlight the things we need to watch out for in this context. Sepsis could start off with a very small cut, as I understand it, and then, as a result, an infection occurs and spreads very fast.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Absolutely. That is important. Even if we were to have the basic information disseminated, that would be a good thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: From the HSE's recent presentation, I note that information leaflets were distributed to all GPs. To put a question to all the family members here, do they think there is enough information available within the general practices, and even with hospital doctors, to allow for the identification of the symptoms to watch out for in dealing with sepsis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Mr. Hughes is saying that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Mr. Hughes is saying the leaflets-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Okay. I thank everybody for their very valuable contributions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Is the structure of protocols in the US in place in hospitals throughout the country or is it only in certain states?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for the work they are doing in this area. One issue that arises is the changeover of junior doctors in our hospital system. Are the witnesses satisfied that we have comprehensive programme for dealing with that changeover, which tends to happen in January and June or July? Are they satisfied that we have enough processes in place to make sure the new doctors who are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Am I correct in saying there were something like 13,000 cases of people admitted to hospital with sepsis in 2021? I know there may have been other complications but I have seen that about 2,700 people died in 2021 in hospitals who had sepsis. I am not saying that sepsis was the sole cause of death but it was a contributory factor. Am I right in respect of those figures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Everyone tends to focus on consultants and junior doctors. If you go into a hospital, the same nursing staff will be there ten years later, so there is that continuity. What programme is in place for nurses on an ongoing basis to make sure they are able to get up-to-date information, including about the new challenges that arise in respect of dealing with something like this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: One of the other challenges we face in the health service, particularly at weekends, is one I referenced at the start of the meeting. A young boy of eight who died recently was admitted to hospital but, unfortunately, the degree to which he had sepsis meant there was little the hospital could have done. I understand that he immediately went on life support when he was admitted to hospital....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Awareness, Prevention and Services for the Treatment of Sepsis: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Burke: Dr. O'Dwyer accepts there is a problem, particularly at weekends, getting access to GPs. Three to four crucial hours may be missed.