Yes, sepsis severely messes with the brain, causing acute confusion (delirium) during illness and leading to long-term cognitive issues like poor memory, focus, and processing speed, as well as psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, because the body's overwhelming inflammatory response damages brain cells and disrupts normal function.
Around 40% of people who develop sepsis are estimated to experience physical, cognitive, and/or psychological after effects. For most people, these effects will last a few months, but others can face a long road to recovery and develop Post Sepsis Syndrome (PSS).
Changes in mental status can range from no longer being able to perform complicated tasks to not being able to remember everyday things. The authors wrote, “… 60 percent of hospitalizations for severe sepsis were associated with worsened cognitive and physical function among surviving older adults.
At long-term phase, cognitive impairment is the main feature of sepsis-induced brain dysfunction [5]. SAE is a main manifestation of sepsis, which is characterized by changes in consciousness that range from confusion to delirium or even coma [6] and affects up to 70% of patients with sepsis [7].
Post-Sepsis Syndrome can affect up to 50% of sepsis survivors especially if you were admitted to the intensive care unit. Symptoms include: Sleeping irregularities: insomnia, difficulty falling or staying asleep; nightmares, hallucinations. Confusion / inability to concentrate.
Sepsis can affect your mental status. Some people, especially the elderly, may not show typical signs of infection. Instead, they may show a sudden change in mental status, becoming confused, or a worsening of dementia and confusion. Sleepiness, often severe, is also a common complaint.
Recovery varies for everyone individually. While most patients with sepsis recover fully, those patients who go on to develop severe complications such as septic shock may need additional support and possibly rehabilitation on their road to recovery.
Life expectancy after sepsis is reduced, with significant long-term mortality, as many survivors face a higher risk of death for up to five years, with studies showing around 50% of survivors may die within this period, though outcomes vary greatly depending on factors like age, pre-existing conditions, severity of sepsis, and treatment, with some fully recovering and others facing chronic Post-Sepsis Syndrome (PSS).
Infection and the immune system response
Access to the brain is by blood or nerves. After breaching the blood–brain barrier, the viruses slip inside brain cells. This disrupts, damages and ultimately ruptures the infected brain cells.
An adult or older child has any of these symptoms of sepsis: acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense. blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.
If sepsis is not identified and treated quickly, it can lead to shock, multiple organ failure, including brain injury and sometimes death. It can also cause ischaemic damage to limbs and extremities, leading to the need for limb amputation.
The overactive immune response during sepsis can also damage the brain, resulting in delirium and causing one in five survivors to suffer from poor memory, shorter attention span, and slower mental processing.
In some cases, symptoms of more severe sepsis or septic shock (when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level) develop. These can include: feeling dizzy or faint. a change in mental state – like confusion or disorientation.
In a vegetative state, the patient will regain some of their reflexes. They react to stimuli such as loud noises or pain. The patient may also open their eyes and appear awake, but they are not yet fully conscious. Reflexes are a good sign that the brain is on the right track to healing.
Many ICU patients with severe sepsis who developed prolonged mental status changes and neurological sequelae showed signs of brain atrophy.
Survivors from sepsis have presented with long-term cognitive impairment, including alterations in memory, attention, concentration, and global loss of cognitive function.
Symptoms of encephalitis
Perception and sensation symptoms of TBI
Viral infections in the brain activate its immune system, and this is necessary to fight the infections – but at the same time, the immune system is often the cause of irreparable damage in the brain.
If you have sepsis, you'll need to stay in the hospital until your condition is stable — likely around two weeks. But that can vary greatly depending on your age, overall health, and any complications you experienced.
The evidence behind the “golden hour” protocol
The main finding was that patients who received antibiotics within the first hour of sepsis recognition had a 79.9% chance of survival. It was also found that with every additional hour, the chance of survival decreased by 7.6%.
Organ failure, including kidney failure, is a hallmark of sepsis. As the body is overwhelmed, its organs begin to shut down, causing even more problems. The kidneys are often among the first to be affected.
An infection can also turn into sepsis when a prescribed antibiotic is ineffective. For this reason, be cognizant of your symptoms. If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic (or any medication) but your symptoms don't improve or worsen, notify your doctor and ask about an alternative drug to treat the condition.
Recovering from sepsis
You might continue to have physical and emotional symptoms. These can last for months, or even years, after you had sepsis. These long-term effects are sometimes called post-sepsis syndrome, and can include: feeling very tired and weak, and difficulty sleeping.
It's known that many patients die in the months and years after sepsis. But no one has known if this increased risk of death (in the 30 days to 2 years after sepsis) is because of sepsis itself, or because of the pre-existing health conditions the patient had before acquiring the complication.