Some shocking statistics

These numbers... are just shocking... Last week I was looking up some general statistics so I had up-to-date figures I could mention in my First Aid courses... This is what I found... 

 Sepsis In the UK 

• 150,000 sepsis cases per year, 44,000 deaths (that's 5 per hour!) and 25,000 children affected. 
• 1/4 of all sepsis sufferers have permanent life changing after effects. 
• Worldwide - Sepsis and septic shock remain one of the most underestimated health risks, affecting 27 to 32 million people annually, of which 7 to 9 million die. 

Remember: Sepsis can happen from any infection. Sepsis can be caused by a huge variety of different germs, like streptococcus, e-coli, MRSA or C diff. Most cases are caused by common bacteria, which normally don’t make us ill. 

 Alcohol poisoning 

• 35% of all A&E attendance and ambulance costs may be alcohol related (England). 
• 5,507 alcohol specific deaths (2016) - avg of 15 a day! 

 Diabetes 

• 500 people with diabetes die prematurely EVERY WEEK in England! 
• Every week 170 people in the UK lose a limb because of diabetes.
• Around four million people in the UK are living with diabetes - and around 90% of them have type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to being overweight or inactive.
• Diabetes prescriptions are costing the NHS in England more than £1 billion a year, according to figures from NHS Digital.
• And a further 12 million people could be at risk of getting type 2 diabetes in the future.

Our bodies are amazing instruments - nurture it, be kind to it, take care of it! 

Stress 

Just to highlight (for the UK): 

• The total number of cases of work related stress, depression or anxiety in 2015/16 was 488,000 cases, a prevalence rate of 1,510 per 100,000 workers. 
• The total number of working days lost due to this condition in 2015/16 was 11.7 million days. This equated to an average of 23.9 days lost per case. 
• In 2015/16, stress accounted for 37% of all work related ill health cases and 45% of all working days lost due to ill health

Stress may be related to: 

• Work – such as, unemployment, a high workload or retirement 
• Family – divorce, relationship difficulties or being a carer 
• Housing – moving house or problems with neighbours 
• Personal issues – such as coping with a serious illness, bereavement or financial problems 

Make sure to acknowledge stress. It is not always possible to change your situation, but sharing your problems with friends or family, taking a walk outside away from the stressful situation, having a hobby to focus on, or do breathing exercises could all help to manage your stress a little better. 

 It's important to tackle the causes of stress in your life if you can!

#becauseitsaveslives #fab #firstaid