Latest news with #DrVanessaSweet
Globe and Mail
30-06-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Nova Scotia emergency rooms report ‘enormous' improvement in sepsis detection
Nova Scotia's health system is improving its methods for early detection of sepsis, a life-threatening condition that occurs when the immune system reacts to infection by attacking the body's organs. Introduced in January, 2024, the new program offers front-line caregivers in emergency rooms new tools and training to help them determine when patients might be at risk. The reform comes after several high-profile deaths over the past five years, with families of deceased patients arguing their loved ones could have been saved had their infections been caught earlier. Data released by Nova Scotia Health says prior to January, 2024, about 55 per cent of patients at six health facilities who met criteria for sepsis were receiving antibiotic treatment within three hours after triage, for an average wait of 233 minutes. Now, it's about 82 per cent of patients receiving the vital treatment within three hours, with the average wait down to 124 minutes. Canadian team's sepsis-testing device shows promise in fight against one of the world's most common killers Dr. Vanessa Sweet, a medical lead in the program, said in a recent interview that quick response to sepsis is critical to saving lives. The reform is an 'enormous improvement,' she said. The program includes what she refers to as 'a package of approaches,' which include offering front-line workers a box of supplies needed for starting sepsis care. A new set of directives also allows nurses to administer a first dose of antibiotics without a prescriber's signature, in select cases where symptoms are clear. The new approaches are critical in cases where time is often of the essence, said Sweet. The anesthesiologist said by having nurses take the first step, 'we're not behind the eight ball' when the patient sees a doctor. In a recent email to The Canadian Press, Kim DeWolfe says she hopes her mother's case factored into the province's decision to improve its sepsis detection and care. In 2022, Diane Breen died from sepsis after spending eight hours waiting at the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow, N.S., before being briefly seen by a doctor about a urinary tract infection. Breen – a runner without health conditions – had told medical staff about a week of chills and cold sweats, but she was nonetheless discharged to her home with an antibiotic prescription, according to family. Within hours, she was dead. 'For me, this initiative is an acknowledgment that there were things that could have been done differently which may have resulted in a different outcome for my mother,' DeWolfe said. 'From triage to discharge no one adequately screened my mother for sepsis.' 'I support these changes. Proper screening, along with these kits, will save lives.' Sweet, who has been practising in Nova Scotia since 2017, said that before the program was introduced, a review showed 'our sepsis care wasn't as good as it should be.' A key element of the new program are staff 'sepsis champions' in ERs, where a health worker on each shift is available for expert advice in recognizing the condition. From babysitting to six-figure signing bonuses, recruiters are pulling out all the stops to lure family doctors to their communities Kayla Dort, an emergency care nurse and program champion at the Cobequid Community Health Centre, said in an interview Friday that spotting the condition isn't easy. 'We see it all the time. It's a very prominent and difficult illness to capture sometimes,' she said. Nurses now have access to a small card that explains the criteria to investigate potential sepsis, including factors such as elevated temperature, abnormal heart rate and decreased blood pressure. Nurses are also asked to consider risk factors such as whether patients are suffering from other illnesses. Dort has pioneered a small slogan that is posted around ERs titled, 'Time is organ,' with an hourglass depicting the passage of time – a reference to how the condition can damage organs and tissue if untreated. The program will be expanded to one of the city's largest hospitals, the Halifax Infirmary, this fall, she said. Meanwhile, a team of Canadian researchers has created a device that can quickly test a patient's blood and predict whether they are going to develop sepsis. The device – called Powerblade – produced the results in less than three hours. Researchers, including with the National Research Council Canada, were hoping to begin a clinical trial with Powerblade this year. Dr. Claudia dos Santos at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, who is the senior author of a research paper about Powerblade published in May in the journal Nature Communications, says sepsis kills thousands of people in Canada and close to 50 million people worldwide every year.
CTV News
30-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Nova Scotia makes progress in detection of life-threatening sepsis at ERs
Paramedics are seen at the Dartmouth General Hospital in Dartmouth, N.S., on July 4, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's health system is improving its methods for early detection of sepsis, a life-threatening condition that occurs when the immune system reacts to infection by attacking the body's organs. Introduced in January 2024, the new program offers front-line caregivers in emergency rooms new tools and training to help them determine when patients might be at risk. The reform comes after several high-profile deaths over the past five years, with families of deceased patients arguing their loved ones could have been saved had their infections been caught earlier. Data released by Nova Scotia Health says prior to January 2024 about 55 per cent of patients at six health facilities who met criteria for sepsis were receiving antibiotic treatment within three hours after triage, for an average wait of 233 minutes. Now, it's about 82 per cent of patients receiving the vital treatment within three hours, with the average wait down to 124 minutes. Dr. Vanessa Sweet, a medical lead in the program, said in a recent interview that quick response to sepsis is critical to saving lives. The reform is an 'enormous improvement,' she said. The program includes what she refers to as 'a package of approaches,' which include offering front-line workers a box of supplies needed for starting sepsis care. A new set of directives also allows nurses to administer a first dose of antibiotics without a prescriber's signature, in select cases where symptoms are clear. The new approaches are critical in cases where time is often of the essence, said Sweet. The anesthesiologist said by having nurses take the first step, 'we're not behind the eight ball' when the patient sees a doctor. In a recent email to The Canadian Press, Kim DeWolfe says she hopes her mother's case factored into the province's decision to improve its sepsis detection and care. In 2022, Diane Breen died from sepsis after spending eight hours waiting at the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow, N.S., before being briefly seen by a doctor about a urinary tract infection. Breen — a runner without health conditions — had told medical staff about a week of chills and cold sweats, but she was nonetheless discharged to her home with an antibiotic prescription, according to family. Within hours, she was dead. 'For me, this initiative is an acknowledgment that there were things that could have been done differently which may have resulted in a different outcome for my mother,' DeWolfe said. 'From triage to discharge no one adequately screened my mother for sepsis.' 'I support these changes. Proper screening, along with these kits, will save lives.' Sweet, who has been practicing in Nova Scotia since 2017, said that before the program was introduced, a review showed 'our sepsis care wasn't as good as it should be.' A key element of the new program are staff 'sepsis champions' in ERs, where a health worker on each shift is available for expert advice in recognizing the condition. Kayla Dort, an emergency care nurse and program champion at the Cobequid Community Health Centre, said in an interview Friday that spotting the condition isn't easy. 'We see it all the time. It's a very prominent and difficult illness to capture sometimes,' she said. Nurses now have access to a small card that explains the criteria to investigate potential sepsis, including factors such as elevated temperature, abnormal heart rate, and decreased blood pressure. As well, nurses are also asked to consider risk factors such as whether patients are suffering from other illnesses. Dort has pioneered a small slogan that is posted around ERs titled, 'Time is organ,' with an hourglass depicting the passage of time — a reference to how the condition can damage organs and tissue if untreated. The program will be expanded to one of the city's largest hospitals, the Halifax Infirmary, this fall, she said. Meanwhile, a team of Canadian researchers has created a device that can quickly test a patient's blood and predict whether they are going to develop sepsis. The device — called Powerblade — produced the results in less than three hours. Researchers, including with the National Research Council Canada, were hoping to begin a clinical trial with Powerblade this year. Dr. Claudia dos Santos at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, who is the senior author of a research paper about Powerblade published in May in the journal Nature Communications, says sepsis kills thousands of people in Canada and close to 50 million people worldwide every year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2025.
CBC
20-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Nova Scotia Health works to speed up sepsis treatment
Nova Scotia Health is equipping front-line caregivers in some of the province's emergency rooms with potentially life-saving tools to treat sepsis. A team has been working to implement changes to enable a faster response when people present with sepsis symptoms. Sepsis is caused by the body's overreaction to an infection that is already present. Cases have been on the rise for the past few decades, according to Sepsis Canada. Recommendations from the health authority's own reviews into patient care are cited as factors for the changes. "Sepsis is a very real issue in our province," said Dr. Vanessa Sweet, the central zone sepsis team co-lead. "It was clear to us that we needed to take a different approach to it." The team examined the approaches of other health systems that have made progress in the area to then bring some of those ideas to the front lines of emergency care in Nova Scotia. One thing the group developed are sepsis treatment kits that include all the supplies needed to act fast. "And it has proven that way, I've seen these used many times, people are grabbing for them, instead of having to go pull things and getting pulled to different situations," said Terri McGregor, a registered nurse at Twin Oaks Memorial Hospital in Musquodoboit Harbour. Inside the ready-to-deploy boxes are blood-testing equipment, intravenous fluid supplies and tourniquets along with requisition forms and detailed instructions. Nurses now administer life-saving antibiotics Another key new care directive allows nurses to begin antibiotic treatment without approval from a physician. "If we had no physician on site, say, they're getting those antibiotics immediately," McGregor said. "This lets nurses work to their full scope of practice," said Sweet. Twin Oaks, Cobequid Community Health Centre in Lower Sackville and Hants Community Hospital in Windsor began implementing the changes in the first phase of the project. "Now over 90 per cent of patients at the three sites are receiving their antibiotics within the three-hour recommended time frame," Sweet said. "We've seen a drastic improvement in that," she said, adding the previous number was around 60 per cent. The program has since grown to include six hospitals, according to Nova Scotia Health. 'Every hour is absolutely essential' Detecting and treating sepsis early can be the difference between life and death, said the scientific co-chair of Sepsis Canada. "We know from the literature that every hour that someone is in severe sepsis and they're not getting appropriate treatment, their chance of dying goes up by 10 per cent," said Dr. Osama Loubani, who is also an emergency room physician in Halifax. "Every hour is absolutely essential." Karen Moxsom from Hardwood Lands in central Nova Scotia saw how fast sepsis can take hold when her husband got sick. A quality review of 74-year-old Gordon Moxsom's case was conducted after he died just over two years ago. At the time, his wife had not even heard of the condition. "There's not enough awareness out there for sepsis, it can happen so quickly. It's one of the top leading killers with cancer, with heart attacks," said Moxsom. "Nobody knows anything about it." She still maintains her husband may not have contracted sepsis had he not been discharged from the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax with a catheter — where she thinks the infection started — following treatment of earlier heart problems. Included in the review is Moxsom's complaint that she did not receive proper guidance following her husband's discharge about how to monitor for infection, or any education about sepsis symptoms. She's still pushing for answers about his care and is encouraged to see there is further action to improve treatment. "I'm happy that they are doing it. I was glad to see that because I feel like I was a part of that by reporting what happened to Gordie." Moxsom now wants to see the changes implemented provincewide, which is something the action improvement team is now looking at as it attempts to scale up its work. The Halifax Infirmary is scheduled to start in the fall. A provincial rollout is planned after that.
