Hospitals in Canada’s most populous province will be required by Ontario Health to establish protocols by early next year to identify and respond to sepsis, which can be fatal if patients do not receive timely medical intervention.
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patients → require → intervention
A copy of a clinical memorandum, sent in the spring and obtained by The Globe and Mail, details how Ontario Health, a government agency designed to modernize the health care system, is working to set consistent provincial expectations for how hospitals respond to potential cases of sepsis.
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hospitals → send → sepsis
The new protocols must be in place by March, 2027, according to the memorandum.
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protocols → accord → memorandum
There have been several sepsis-related deaths in Ontario hospitals in recent years that have sparked public outcry, including that of 16-year-old Finlay van der Werken.
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that → relate → Werken
In February, 2024, he waited more than eight hours in an Oakville, Ont., emergency department to be seen by a doctor before he died of sepsis and pneumonia.
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he → wait → sepsis
Sepsis is when the body kicks into overdrive in response to an infection.
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body → kick → infection
If it is not recognized early, it can lead to shock, organ failure and death.
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it → recognize → shock
As of 2020, it was estimated 75,000 cases of sepsis occur every year in Canada, leading to 18,000 deaths.
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cases → estimate → deaths
The clinical memorandum, dated April 20, pegs the cost of sepsis to Ontario’s health care system to be more than $1-billion a year.
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memorandum → date → system
The document, sent to chief medical executives and hospitals in the province, said institutions must have sepsis screening or warning mechanisms in place for inpatient units by March 31, 2027.
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institutions → send → March
“Hospitals can fulfill this requirement by using a health information system (HIS) with an integrated early warning system or by implementing a routine screening process – either on paper or electronically – for acutely ill, high-risk patients,” it said.
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it → fulfill → patients
The document also cites strong evidence that early identification and timely sepsis treatment improves patient outcomes, but that benefits can only be achieved when protocols are embedded in workflows and consistent.
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protocols → cite → workflows
Lily Barnes, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Health Minister Sylvia Jones, said the provincial government is working to promote standardized practices and clinical awareness.
“As per the Minister’s direction, Ontario Health has convened an expert panel of leading clinicians to review currently established sepsis guidelines and opportunities for improvement,” she said in an e-mail.
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she → say → mail
Last October, the van der Werken family met with Ms. Jones to call for changes to how emergency care is delivered in Ontario, including standardized maximum ER wait times for vulnerable pediatric patients.
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care → meet → patients
The circumstances of Finlay’s death will be the subject of a future discretionary coroner’s inquest, but a date has not been set.
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date → set → inquest
Ontario resident, Gurinder Sidhu, has also called for reforms to ensure early intervention and treatment of sepsis.
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resident → call → sepsis
He says his wife, Ravinder, with whom he has three children, developed postpartum sepsis that caused organ failure and led to her death in June, 2025.
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that → say → June
Kassandra Costabile is also pushing for accountability following her sister’s death, which she believes was preventable.
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she → push → death
Rheanna Laderoute died in February, 2022, after showing signs of septic shock following an abortion.
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Laderoute → die → abortion
Last October, Nova Scotia rolled out a provincewide approach that authorized emergency room nurses to administer antibiotics and IV fluids to anyone suspected of having sepsis.
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that → roll → sepsis
The measure was applauded by advocates who want the approach expanded to other provinces and territories.
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approach → applaud → provinces
Nova Scotia’s changes were implemented following several prominent sepsis cases that resulted in legal action.
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that → implement → action
For its action plan, the provincial health authority drew lessons from NHS Scotland, the publicly funded health care system in that country, and the B.C. Sepsis Network, a clinician initiative in that province.
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authority → draw → province
In New York State, sepsis detection regulations in place for the past 13 years have been credited with saving tens of thousands of lives.
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regulations → credit → lives
They include strict timelines for interventions, including early delivery of antibiotics.
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They → include → antibiotics
The measures, known as Rory’s Regulations, were put in place after the April 1, 2012, death of 12-year-old Rory Staunton, who had undiagnosed and untreated sepsis.
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who → know → sepsis
His parents, Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton, founded the U.S. advocacy organization, End Sepsis, the year of his death.
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parents → found → death
In a recent interview, Ms. Staunton said she has spoken with the van der Werken family and that she was heartbroken to learn Finlay waited so long before being seen by a doctor.
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Finlay → say → doctor
Finlay and Rory’s deaths were preventable, she said.
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she → say → ?
“I think it’s about time Canada got their act together.
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Canada → think → act
What’s stopping them?”
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What → stop → them
The Aporia
