Exam Pass Notes

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A Simple Safety Memory Aid

• Notice infection plus deterioration
• Stay within role
• Use the local route
• Record the exact words
• Hand over clearly
• Close the loop

Recognise

• People with possible sepsis often describe an infection together with clear deterioration, rather than using the word "sepsis".
• Adult warning words include feeling very unwell, confusion or slurred speech, severe weakness, fast breathing, blue lips, mottled skin, severe shivering, clamminess or not passing urine all day.
• For babies and children look for not feeding, floppy or hard to wake, very fast breathing, a rash that does not fade, no wet nappies, or not responding normally.
• Anyone who is pregnant or recently pregnant with infection symptoms plus severe pain, breathlessness, collapse, heavy bleeding or feeling very unwell should be escalated promptly.

Respond

• Use the local urgent escalation route as soon as concerning wording is reported.
• Do not diagnose or clinically triage from reception, care navigation or call-handling roles.
• Do not give clinical reassurance or tell the person it is safe to wait when warning words are present.
• Escalate uncertainty instead of trying to resolve unsafe symptoms yourself.
• Use maternity, emergency or local urgent pathways when local protocols direct this.

Record and Handover

• Record exact words, including the infection context and any deterioration phrases.
• Record time, contact route, location and safe call-back details.
• Record action taken, who accepted responsibility and which urgent route was used.
• Document complications such as refusal, failed call-back, disconnection, online delay or remaining uncertainty.
• Keep urgent wording visible rather than reducing it to vague notes like "infection query", "unwell" or "needs antibiotics".

Practice Systems

• Staff need visible warning-word prompts, clear scripts, named urgent clinical contacts and backup routes.
• Monitor online requests and routine queues so infection-related warning words are not missed.
• Define failed-contact rules for when calls drop, patients leave, or urgent ownership is delayed.
• Use near misses to improve systems and training, not only to remind individuals.