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Alya Niang

Imagine waking up in the hospital to find out that the doctors need to amputate your hands or feet to save your life.
That’s exactly what happened to Christine Caron and Djibril Kande, the terrible, awful price they paid for a condition called sepsis that upended their lives.

Christine Caron

I didn’t take the news very well. I became depressed. I was suicidal at one point. Being able to keep my right hand lifted my spirits a bit. But I was a single mother, and very independent. So, it affected my whole life.

Alya Niang

Nearly 200 Canadians die from this condition every day, according to Sepsis Canada. Some, like Christine and Djibril, survive only after spending months in the hospital.

Djibril Kande

The doctor said I was seriously ill. I couldn’t move because I’d been in bed for so long. I lost a lot of weight, and ended up with a beard. They told me that I would be in the hospital for a long time.

Alya Niang

Sepsis occurs when an infection somewhere in the body triggers huge inflammation, shutting down organs. It’s the deadliest health condition in the world. And doctors like François Lamontagne are trying to change that.

François Lamontagne

I think the first step we need to take as soon as possible is to settle the issue of monitoring and tracking epidemiological statistics. Because the data exists. For the wrong reasons, it’s difficult to access and process. But by giving resources to competent organizations, we’ll be able to better understand the scope of the problem and the different types of sepsis right away.

Alya Niang

Hello and welcome to the Canadian ������ϱ� Information Podcast (CHIP), the platform that brings you real experiences on health topics that matter to all of us. I’m your host, Alya Niang.

Please bear in mind that the opinions and comments of our guests do not necessarily reflect those of CIHI, but this is a free and open discussion. Today’s topic is sepsis.

Christine Caron and Djibril Kande from Ottawa are with us today. Hello, Christine.

Christine Caron

Hello, Alya.

Alya Niang

Hello, Djibril.

Djibril Kande

Hello, Alya. How are you?

Alya Niang

Fine, thank you. Happy you could join us. So I’ll start with you, Christine.

Did you know about sepsis before you had it?

Christine Caron

No, I’d never heard the word before. I’d heard of the term “septic shock” on TV, but otherwise, no.

Alya Niang

And what about you, Djibril?

Djibril Kande

I’d heard the word in a biology class at school, but I never thought it would happen to me.

Alya Niang

I see.

And Christine, what happened? Can you tell us a little about it?

Christine Caron

I was sick for about a month before ending up in the hospital. I had bronchitis, maybe pneumonia, we weren’t sure.

One afternoon, I was playing with my dogs and one of them accidentally bit my right hand. It was just a small wound, but I cleaned it thoroughly. I was told that my immune system was really weak.

I went to the hospital about 6 days later, to the emergency room. I gave the nurse my health card, and then I passed out.

Alya Niang

So, you were extremely ill. You went to the emergency room. You handed over your card and fainted.

Christine Caron

Right.

Alya Niang

What happened next?

Christine Caron

I woke up a month later. I was in intensive care, in a different hospital.

Alya Niang

What happened when you woke up?

Christine Caron

They told me that I had organ damage. What’s more, they said they’d have to amputate all 4 of my limbs for me to survive. In the end, I had 3 limbs amputated and was able to keep my hand. My kidneys are functioning at 50%.

Alya Niang

I understand.

And Djibril, can you tell us a bit about what happened to you?

Djibril Kande

Right. I was living in Edmonton. I was riding a motorcycle, and I fell off. I’d had a minor accident, but I thought I was okay. I had some small injuries, scratches here and there, and I thought I was okay. And I went home. The next day, I wasn’t feeling well, so I decided to go to the hospital. And once I was at the hospital, that’s all I remember. I came out of a coma a month later.

Alya Niang

Similar to Christine...

Djibril Kande

Yes, that’s right.

Alya Niang

And what happened when you woke up a month later? You had to talk to the doctors, and I imagine they explained your situation a bit. What did they tell you?

Djibril Kande

They told me that I was seriously ill. At that point, they didn’t have many answers as to why or what had caused it. But they were still doing research.

Alya Niang

How long were you in the hospital?

Djibril Kande

Initially, I was in the hospital from May to September.

Alya Niang

Got it.

Christine, how did losing your hands and feet change your life?

Can you describe just how significant this change has been?

Christine Caron

I didn’t take the news very well. I became depressed. I was suicidal at one point. Being able to keep my right hand lifted my spirits a bit. But I was a single mother, and very independent. So, it affected my whole life. My family’s life, my children’s lives. Sepsis affected everyone in my family. As for the trauma I went through, I slept. I was in a coma for the most part. And my family was there the whole month, day after day. The trauma affects everyone’s lives.

Alya Niang

I’m sure.

And Djibril, what was it like for you when you woke up? What did they tell you?

Djibril Kande

When I woke up, I had so many questions because all I saw were machines making a lot of noise. Then I saw my mother on my right, and I saw my sister on my left, which didn’t make sense because they were living in Ottawa at the time. And I was living in Edmonton alone. I tried to put the pieces together, but I couldn’t figure it out.

Alya Niang

You were trying to figure out what was going on?

Djibril Kande

Right. The doctor said I was seriously ill. I couldn’t move because I’d been in bed for so long. And I’d lost a lot of weight. I had a beard. They told me that I would be in the hospital for a long time.

Alya Niang

Mm-hmm.

Djibril Kande

Right.

Alya Niang

Did they tell you about having to amputate?

Djibril Kande

Not initially, because that was in May, and they brought up amputation in July.

Alya Niang

Right.

Djibril Kande

But I refused, because up until then, I’d never seen or known any amputees in my life, apart from Terry Fox, who I’d learned about in school. And I was young. I couldn’t see my life changing right away, and it was really hard to accept it. So I refused.

Alya Niang

You refused the amputation.

Djibril Kande

Yes.

Alya Niang

And at the time, you refused the amputation because you were thinking about your life. You weren’t ready for that kind of change since you were young. And you were athletic too, if I’m not mistaken.

Djibril Kande

I was athletic, but I was also scared. I was really scared.

Alya Niang

I understand. And then what happened?

Djibril Kande

A few months later, my leg, my foot started to deteriorate and all. Then in 2011, we decided to go ahead with a transmetatarsal amputation. So that meant a quarter of my right foot had to be amputated. Because I was trying to save as much as I could.

Alya Niang

I understand.

And Christine, what was the hardest learning curve after you went through these amputations?

Christine Caron

For me, the biggest curve was being a burden on my family. Since I’m so independent, I’ve been able to learn a lot. But without 3 of my limbs, I need help. And being able to ask for help was a big learning curve for me. I don’t like being a burden.

Alya Niang

Do you have prostheses?

Christine Caron

I have prostheses for both of my legs. I have a prosthesis for my left hand, but it isn’t a functioning prosthesis. It’s to make people less afraid of me, more or less.

Alya Niang

It’s for aesthetics?

Christine Caron

Yes. And I have a yoga arm, because I used to be an athlete too.

I ran and I did yoga. I wasn’t like Djibril, but I did yoga. So, I have a yoga arm to help me keep my strength up.

Alya Niang

And do you have any for your feet?

Christine Caron

Yes. I have 2 prostheses that I wear every day, from the time I get up to the time I go to bed.

Alya Niang

Got it. And you, Djibril, do you wear a prosthesis?

Djibril Kande

Yes, I’ve been wearing a prosthesis since 2019. That’s when I decided to have a below-the-knee amputation. So, yes. I have a few prostheses.

Alya Niang

So, if I understand correctly, you’ve had 2 amputations?

Djibril Kande

That’s right.

Alya Niang

Okay. Can you tell us how the second one came about?

Djibril Kande

Sure. My first amputation, as I explained earlier, was transmetatarsal. That was in 2011. But my quality of life wasn’t good, because I still had pain in my knee, hip and lower back. And I often walked with a cane or crutches. I was always in pain.

In 2019, I decided to get the amputation, which is just below the knee, because I really had no choice. So, I did it.

Alya Niang

Nearly 8 years later? Almost.

Djibril Kande

Yes.

Alya Niang

Right. You decided to do it for a better quality of life.

Djibril Kande

That’s right.

Alya Niang

I understand.

Christine, you’re a patient advocate. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Christine Caron

Well, it isn’t easy. Most patients leave the hospital without really understanding what happened to them. Also, I work in research as a patient, and we need to do more research about sepsis and septic shock.

It’s very difficult for patients. As an advocate, it’s not easy. It’s tough. There’s no support for us. We have a support group for amputees. Most patients leave the hospital without understanding what really happened to them. There’s a real gap in the system.

I find myself having to educate patients about sepsis and the after-effects. It’s hard delivering that information to someone who’s already suffered so much trauma as it is.

Alya Niang

I understand.

Djibril, do you belong to this kind of support group?

Djibril Kande

Yes, I work more with amputees. I do more peer support, as I travel a lot across Canada. So, I meet with amputees and explain what to expect on the journey of being a new amputee. At the same time, I talk to their families, just to give them hope and support.

Alya Niang

Got it.

I imagine that when you go through such a trying time, you realize how precious life is. And having survived, it can be seen as a privilege to be able to continue enjoying life.

Christine, how do you see your new life now?

Christine Caron

I have to admit, some days are really hard. But I’m so happy to be alive.

Alya Niang

I can imagine.

Christine Caron

And I try to help others who are coming out of the fire, out of the trauma. There must be a reason I was saved. And for now, I think it’s to help others who are on the same path. We walk it together. And as Djibril mentioned, we try to educate others. As for support, I try to spend more time with my family. But really, I think supporting others is something I have to do.

Alya Niang

It’s a second chance at life.

Christine Caron

Right.

Alya Niang

So I guess you have to do everything you can to make the most of it.

Christine Caron

Yes. As I was saying...

Alya Niang

In the best possible way.

Christine Caron

Yes, absolutely.

Alya Niang

Djibril, how do you see your life now? I imagine you see it differently.

Djibril Kande

I really appreciate life now. And I can’t take it for granted.

Alya Niang

Right.

Djibril Kande

Yes. Every day counts. Because, as you said earlier, life is fragile. So, you have to live... My goal in life is to leave here with a full heart. That’s all there is to it.

Alya Niang

Yes. You have to make the most of life and your time with loved ones.

Djibril Kande

Family.

Alya Niang

Family. And knowing you’ve had a second chance.

Thank you very much, Christine and Djibril, for sharing this stage of your lives with us. I imagine how very trying it’s been for you and your families. You survived the ordeal and were able to be here to tell us about it. I’m extremely grateful. So, once again, thank you very much.

Christine Caron

My pleasure.

Djibril Kande

Thank you.

Alya Niang

We now have Dr. François Lamontagne, who’s joining us from Sherbrooke.

Hello, Dr. Lamontagne. Thank you for being here today. I’ll start by asking you to introduce yourself.

François Lamontagne

Hello, and thank you for inviting me. I’m François Lamontagne, a full professor in the Faculty of Medicine and ������ϱ� Sciences at Université de Sherbrooke. I’m a clinical researcher at the Centre de recherche du CHUS in Sherbrooke. For the last 15 years or so, I’ve done translational research, but primarily clinical research. And much of my work focuses on sepsis and the resuscitation of sepsis patients in intensive care units.

Alya Niang

Thank you. So, Dr. Lamontagne, tell us a bit about sepsis. We know that in Canada, this condition affects around 50,000 people a year, if I’m not mistaken, maybe 40,000 to 50,000?

François Lamontagne

Yes and no. First, I should probably point out that sepsis is a combination of elements. It’s defined by the presence of an infection, the immune response to that infection and the impact of those 2 elements combined on organ function. So, it’s a fairly broad, wide-ranging syndrome. What we can say with certainty, to get back to your question, is that it’s a huge problem, both in Canada and worldwide. And we underestimate the problem, because the statistics we have for sepsis are a bit uncertain, a bit imprecise.

For example, you mention 40,000 or 50,000 cases, which is a statistic we often hear. Other research groups suggest that the figures are actually much higher, in Canada alone, around 150,000 to 200,000 cases per year. So, it’s massive.

And the uncertainty is due to the fact that the definition I just quickly gave you is evolving. And the tools at our disposal for tracking sepsis statistics are a bit behind the times and make it difficult to get an accurate read on developments related to sepsis.

Alya Niang

Since it’s so massive, why did the idea of recognizing sepsis as a global health priority not come up until 2017? That seems quite recent to me.

François Lamontagne

Right. Although 2017 is very recent, sepsis has been around for a very long time. In fact, as far back as ancient times, doctors used other words to describe what is actually sepsis. The modern definition which combines an infection, the immune response and its consequences, dates back to the early 90s, but is updated quite often. What happened in 2017 was that those who were interested in and who were working in the field of sepsis, made the World ������ϱ� Organization (WHO) aware of the scale of the problem.

So, by mobilizing the WHO around this problem, it put it on the radar for most member countries. The WHO was mobilized in 2017, but the problem dates back to before then. And it’s probably due to the issues I mentioned earlier, and our rather limited ability to monitor the incidence of sepsis, that we’ve been so slow to act on a global scale.

So, these statistics are difficult to track because our tools aren’t quite up to the job. And I could give more specific examples, but not all cases of sepsis are recorded as such, and that’s a bit of a problem.

Alya Niang

I see. Thank you.

What about getting Canadians to become more aware of sepsis? My sense is that people don’t really know anything about it.

François Lamontagne

Yes, I think you’re right. It’s getting better, though. There’s a network called Sepsis Canada, which has done a lot of work in the last few years, using surveys to document the public’s understanding and awareness. We believe that the term “sepsis” is being used more and more often. So there’s been some progress. However, in terms of understanding what it means, the term is kind of thrown out there haphazardly. But you’re right,even if some progress has been made, there’s still a lot of awareness raising to do, and we need to work on people’s understanding.

Alya Niang

Indeed. So, Dr. Lamontagne, I’ve heard that even a paper cut can cause sepsis. Is that true?

François Lamontagne

In fact, any infection can lead to sepsis. So, while your example is of an injury that’s quite minor; the wound can still be a gateway to an infection. Any infection can take a turn for the worse and result in sepsis.

You mentioned that the Canadian public may have a limited understanding of sepsis. Any type of infection can lead to sepsis: infections caused by viruses such as influenza or COVID, bacterial infections, such as those you get when you’re injured, and fungal infections. Any kind of infection can lead to sepsis. It’s like a big basket that encompasses many types of diseases. It’s a bit like the term “cancer.” It’s a very generic term that encompasses many different diseases, and so is sepsis. But yes, everyone is somewhat at risk of developing sepsis.

Alya Niang

Got it. And what happens, in simple terms? Does the infection go through the bloodstream?

François Lamontagne

Well, now we’re getting into more complicated considerations. An infection isn’t always found in a patient’s blood. Traces of an infection, in other words, bacteria, can travel through the bloodstream, but that’s unusual. And often, patients who have bacteria in their bloodstream do indeed have sepsis associated with it.

But sepsis can occur when the infection is confined to a specific site and doesn’t travel through the bloodstream. For example, I could have pneumonia, and the microbes could be confined to my lungs. And I could still get sepsis and go into septic shock, even if the microbes in my lungs aren’t also in my blood.

So, yes, sometimes, the microbes are in the blood, but sometimes, they’re elsewhere. And that’s not part of the definition of sepsis. Sepsis is really an infection, no matter what kind, no matter where it is, the immune response to that infection, and the harmful consequences.

Alya Niang

Got it. Dr. Lamontagne, tell us a bit about the symptoms.

François Lamontagne

They’re varied, and that’s why the statistics can be tricky to follow. That’s because, as I mentioned earlier, sepsis is a big basket, and it’s full of different infections or problems from fairly different sources. As a result, the clinical manifestations also differ.

So, when sepsis is the result of a lung infection or pneumonia, the symptoms are often respiratory. Of course, there will often be a fever. That’s common to all kinds of infections. But if the infection is mainly in the lungs, there may be coughing and expectoration, so patients may spit and experience respiratory distress. When the lungs are affected, those will obviously be the predominate symptoms.

An infection can occur in the abdominal cavity. And in those cases, in addition to a fever, there may be nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. You talked about sepsis resulting from a paper cut, an ordinary wound. If that wound is complicated by an infection that quickly progresses, at that point, there will be a fever and aches, and redness and pain at the site of the initial wound is likely to progress very quickly. At that point, the key signs of an infection that’s progressing to sepsis are on the skin.

And those are the signs and symptoms: fever, pain, respiratory distress, depending on which organs are affected. But, through testing, we measure the various markers of the harmful consequences of sepsis.

Alya Niang

So how do you diagnose sepsis when you have that array of symptoms?

François Lamontagne

Well, that’s where it’s wide-ranging. There are several ways to arrive at a diagnosis of sepsis. But there has to be an infection, which, again, will either be a confirmed infection, where we have to find the microbes, or the medical team assumes that, regardless of the test results, there are microbes. We can’t always isolate the microbes, but when we think an infection is the source of all the problems, that’s the first criterion. First, we need to run tests to identify signs of the harmful consequences of the infection which, combined with the human response, will have a negative impact. This is often recorded through blood tests. If we notice, for example, that kidney function is deteriorating, we can measure that through blood tests. If the functioning of blood cells is impaired, which we measure through platelets in the blood, now that’s a problem. If liver function is impaired, that’s recorded through a blood test.

So, we have certain criteria like that, which enables us to map the harmful consequences of an infection and a disorganized immune response. And when you have all of that together, it’s sepsis.

Alya Niang

You’ve touched on my next question.

Is there a specific blood test to accurately diagnose sepsis?

François Lamontagne

There are blood tests that help define it, but they’re not specific. Because the blood tests we use as criteria for sepsis are the same blood tests we use in other contexts. So, when kidney function is affected, it’s affected in the context of sepsis, just as it can be affected in any other context. So, it’s up to the medical team to put all the pieces together and come up with sepsis.

But you’re getting at exactly why it’s so difficult to properly identify every case of sepsis. Because a doctor might diagnose a patient with pneumonia and associated problems like kidney failure and not put the pieces together or tell anyone in the file that it’s sepsis. So, the patient won’t appear as a sepsis patient in Canadian statistics or health information. It will appear as pneumonia with impaired renal function. So, if the treating teams don’t properly put the pieces together, sepsis cases can be missed.

Alya Niang

Can people go to the hospital and just say, “check me for sepsis”?

François Lamontagne

Well, it’s very interesting that you should ask, because that’s one of the strategies that some countries have chosen to adopt.

The problem is that if we don’t recognize cases of sepsis as doctors and nurses, patients can fall through the cracks. And not only is that bad for statistical tracking, it’s especially bad for those poor patients, who don’t get care right away, which can make it worse for them.

In the UK in particular, they’ve invested heavily in raising public awareness, much like they did in North America for strokes. They’re teaching the public that the combination of a fever and feeling really unwell, feeling listless, could be sepsis. They’ve invested in equipping the public with information that can help inform nurses and doctors or alert them to the possibility of sepsis.

That’s a valid public health strategy being used extensively in certain countries, and to some extent in Canada through the leadership of the network I was talking about, Sepsis Canada.

Alya Niang

Got it. And, Dr. Lamontagne, just for clarification, what’s the difference between sepsis and septic shock?

François Lamontagne

Septic shock is a more serious form of sepsis, so there are additional criteria. When I was talking about the harmful consequences of sepsis, I was referring to septic shock, because one of those consequences is a drop in blood pressure.

When patients take their blood pressure at home, it’s usually because they suffer from high blood pressure. But if they have an infection, a fever, malaise, something like that, their blood pressure drops and is abnormally low. In general, we’ll talk about other criteria, but that drop in blood pressure is mainly what defines septic shock. At that point, these patients generally need a special treatment, called a vasopressor, which is administered in the intensive care unit.

In all cases, patients can be very ill and die, but septic shock is the most serious form of sepsis.

Alya Niang

I see. Thank you. So tell me about some of the things that are being done here to change the odds of survival, because a lot of patients die.

François Lamontagne

There’s still a lot of awareness raising to be done. I can’t tell you that there’s a really clear national action plan. The priorities to...

Alya Niang

To improve the odds of survival?

François Lamontagne

Yes. In fact, you can ask different people the same question and you’ll get different answers.

In the UK, for example, they’ve invested heavily in raising public awareness. It’s a valid strategy. Given that sepsis is a basket that’s so big and encompasses so many sub-categories, some places have prioritized research on specific treatments for the different subtypes of sepsis. Because there are so many different types of infections and patients, some are working mainly on finding more personalized treatments that would be effective in some sepsis cases, but not in others. That’s a very therapeutic approach, and it’s valid.

I’ll tell you what my personal opinion is, and it’s about organizations like the Canadian Institute for ������ϱ� Information. I think the cornerstone of any action, of any strategy is first solving the problem mentioned at the beginning of tracking sepsis statistics. First, we need to be able to measure and record every case of sepsis. This is for a number of reasons. First, we’ll be able to better describe the scale of the problem. But raising awareness among the general public follows almost automatically from this, as it’s clear that we’re underestimating the problem. So there’s an awareness raising aspect that’s intrinsic to all this.

Second, by having exhaustive data on all sepsis cases across Canada, we can better distinguish between the different subtypes that may require different treatments, as well as the different trajectories. Let me give you a very, very specific example: children who contract viral infections every year during the seasonal waves often have sepsis. And the trajectory for these very young children is very different from that of older patients who are immunosuppressed because they’ve had chemotherapy for cancer and develop sepsis in the hospital after surgery. Those are cases of nosocomial sepsis. In other words, the treatments given to those patients are at the root of a sepsis problem.

In both cases, we can take preventive action, but the strategies will be very different.

In my opinion, the cornerstone to really making a difference with sepsis is to better document everything. And that can be done, obviously, to equip organizations like the ������ϱ�to do it. But with the emphasis on this data, it can be resolved quickly and we can better distinguish between the different clusters of sepsis, the different trajectories in order to identify cases, or take action to prevent them. Because we can treat them. We have to treat them, and we have to treat them better. We’re always behind the curve when we treat them. First of all, it’s going to be very expensive. It won’t work all the time. There are going to be after-effects.

If we’re able to prevent cases, it will be much more efficient and cost-effective, and patients will be much better off because there aren’t any after-effects from a problem we’ve prevented. But to properly prevent cases, we need to be able to discern the different sub-categories and trajectories, and I think that would be the priority for just about everyone. I believe that everyone can benefit from a strategy that’s focused on prevention.

Alya Niang

Got it. And Dr. Lamontagne, what about sepsis that starts at home? What can people listening do? Or what can family doctors do? Because I think that’s where most sepsis cases occur.

François Lamontagne

Categorically, many cases of sepsis are nosocomial. Nosocomial cases are infections that are contracted in the hospital after having surgery, getting chemotherapy or taking immunosuppressants.

Given how many there are, we can really work on the transmission of infections in hospitals as our main strategy. That’s crucial, and it’s crucial for everyone, because it’s obviously catastrophic for patients and families. It’s catastrophic for the hospital system, which ends up treating its own complications, but we can do something about it. We can identify where, in the trajectory of the health care network, patients get sepsis.

But you’re right that a large proportion of sepsis cases appear as if out of nowhere when people are at home and don’t necessarily have any risk factors. So, the public needs to be more aware than the front line. I’m talking about physicians, family doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists. People enter a health care system through different doors, and each one in the network needs to be made properly aware.

So, all the better if patients recognize the signs themselves and come in saying they’re afraid they might have sepsis and ask us to check for it. If that’s not the case, then the first door that the person knocks on, whether it’s a pharmacy, a nurse practitioner clinic or a family doctor’s office, needs to be made aware, because early recognition is the first effective strategy for improving those patients’ odds.

Alya Niang

Got it. My last question to you is, what’s the next step? What are you looking at that will push the safety button on sepsis?

François Lamontagne

So that’s where I’m at, but there isn’t necessarily a consensus beyond that. Then you’re going to ask this question to different people. Everything we’ve said is valid. We haven’t even mentioned that, in many cases, the infection stems from unsanitary living conditions. There are places in Canada where people don’t have running water. Clearly, that creates a risk of contracting infections from contaminated water. In those cases, the strategies are very different from those implemented for sepsis cases in the hospital. But it’s all valid.

If you ask me what the next step is, what button we should press at this stage, there isn’t just one thing. Depending on the type of sepsis we’re talking about, the strategy could be different. And that’s why, and this is my humble personal opinion, I think the first step we need to take as soon as possible is to settle the issue of monitoring and tracking epidemiological statistics.

Because the data exists. For the wrong reasons, it’s difficult to access and process. But by giving resources to competent organizations, we’ll be able to better understand the scope of the problem and the different types of sepsis right away and develop appropriate strategies to take action. We won’t take the same steps for sepsis caused by a viral infection in a 5-year-old as we will to solve problems related to One ������ϱ�, i.e. air quality and clean drinking water in places where populations are in extremely vulnerable situations. And we won’t use the same strategy in hospitals to reduce the risk of nosocomial sepsis.

But the first step is to map out all these cases, to distinguish between them clearly so we can implement the right strategies in the right places. Unfortunately, there won’t be one button or one strategy that applies everywhere.

Alya Niang

Thank you very much, Dr. Lamontagne, for shedding light on the issues surrounding sepsis. It’s such a sensitive and important topic, which I really wish I’d known as much about a year ago, when my mother sadly passed away from the condition. I’ve learned more about it, and I’m sure our listeners have as well.

François Lamontagne

My condolences. I’m sorry to hear that. But thank you for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to take part in this discussion.

Alya Niang

Thank you very much. It’s much appreciated and the pleasure was all mine.

Did you know you can find your local hospital’s sepsis rate by going to the ������ϱ�website? That’s at C-I-H-I-dot-C-A. You can also go to the Sepsis Canada website for more information. A big thank you for taking time to listen in.

Our executive producer is Kevin O’Keefe, and special thanks to Heather Balmain, our production assistant, and Avis Favaro, the host of the ������ϱ�podcast in English. Please subscribe to the CHIP wherever you get your podcasts.

I’m Alya Niang. Talk to you next time.