The current president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society - organisers of the annual County Show - Richard Cole has chosen the UK Sepsis Trust as his named charity during his year in office.

The term sepsis describes the condition where the immune system goes into overdrive and can cause inflammation, swelling and blood clots. This can cause a drop in blood pressure, which cuts blood supply to vital organs.

If the condition is not treated immediately, it can result in organ failure and death. Farmers and farm workers may be particularly at risk and early symptoms include fever, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and quick breathing. Symptoms of more severe sepsis or septic shock include feeling dizzy or faint, confusion or disorientation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea and cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.

Sepsis - previously referred to as blood poisoning - is a life-threatening condition which occurs when the body’s reaction to an infection goes into ‘overdrive’, causing it to attack its own tissues and organs. The infection can start anywhere in the body, and then when the body responds abnormally to the infection it causes sepsis. Sepsis was previously known as blood poisoning and can lead to people becoming very sick very quickly, and they may even need admission to a critical care unit.

A normal blood culture would have no bacteria present at the end of testing. If bacteria are present, a sensitivity is performed, which is a further test to see what antibiotics can be used to treat the bacteria.

The term sepsis describes the condition where the immune system goes into overdrive and can cause inflammation, swelling and blood clots. This can cause a drop in blood pressure, which cuts blood supply to vital organs. If the condition is not treated immediately, it can result in organ failure and death.

Early symptoms include fever, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and quick breathing. Symptoms of more severe sepsis or septic shock include feeling dizzy or faint, confusion or disorientation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea and cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.

Although sepsis is a common problem, it can be difficult to diagnose. At least 100,000 people each year suffer from serious sepsis as a response to an infection which may have started anywhere within their body.

Over 70 per cent of sepsis cases arise outside of hospitals, so recognising possible cases in community settings is vitally important. All health care workers, but especially health care support workers who spend a lot of time with their patients and know them well, need to know about what sepsis is, how they can recognise it and how they can quickly raise the alarm to others so it can be treated immediately. Sepsis affects people of all ages and young people/adults can be affected as much as the elderly. It can arise in hospital settings, but most cases occur out of hospital.

One of the difficulties in diagnosing sepsis quickly and accurately is the symptoms are easily confused with common illnesses, such as food poisoning or the flu. Sepsis is relatively rare compared with the common flu, so it often isn’t suspected until the individual becomes sicker.

A fund raising Charity Ball is being organised at the Showground Pavilion on Saturday, February 10 (7 for 7.30 pm (which will include a three-course meal followed by dancing until 1 am to Fat Barry’s Swansea-based Soul Band - dress is formal and tickets £50 obtainable from the show office.