Sepsis can be caused by any type of infection: bacterial, viral, fungal, or even parasitic. Sepsis prevention is only possible by preventing infections with good and consistent hygiene and avoiding people with infections. Other infections can be prevented through the use of vaccinations.
Bacterial infections cause most cases of sepsis. Sepsis can also be a result of other infections, including viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza, or fungal infections.
The Get Ahead of Sepsis Educational Effort
Adults 65 or older. People with weakened immune systems. People with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, cancer, and kidney disease. People with recent severe illness or hospitalization, including due to severe COVID-19.
While any type of infection — bacterial, viral or fungal — can lead to sepsis, infections that more commonly result in sepsis include infections of: Lungs, such as pneumonia. Kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system. Digestive system.
Although some cases of sepsis can't be prevented, stopping the spread of an infection can lower your risk of this condition. Learn how to recognize symptoms of an infection or mild sepsis, and get to the hospital early for fast treatment.
The condition can arise suddenly and progress quickly, and it's often hard to recognize. Sepsis was once commonly known as “blood poisoning.” It was almost always deadly. Today, even with early treatment, sepsis kills about 1 in 5 affected people.
Sepsis needs treatment in hospital straight away because it can get worse quickly. You should get antibiotics within 1 hour of arriving at hospital. If sepsis is not treated early, it can turn into septic shock and cause your organs to fail. This is life threatening.
"When an infection reaches a certain point, this can happen in a matter of hours." Sepsis usually starts out as an infection in just one part of the body, such as a skin wound or a urinary tract infection, Tracey says.
If the infection has spread or you have a generalized infection, you may develop other signs and symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, pain, etc. Sometimes however, you may have an infection and not know it, and not have any symptoms.
Weakness or aching muscles. Not passing much (or any) urine. Feeling very hot or cold, chills or shivering. Feeling confused, disoriented, or slurring your speech.
Healthcare professionals should treat sepsis with antibiotics as soon as possible. Antibiotics are critical tools for treating life-threatening infections, like those that can lead to sepsis.
When treatment or medical intervention is missing, sepsis is a leading cause of death, more significant than breast cancer, lung cancer, or heart attack. Research shows that the condition can kill an affected person in as little as 12 hours.
Stage one: Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)
Sepsis can be hard to identify, but is typically denoted by a very high or low body temperature, high heart rate, high respiratory rate, high or low white blood cell count and a known or suspected infection.
The mortality rate of SIRS ranges from 6% to 7% and in septic shock amounts to over 50%. In particular, abdominal sepsis exhibits the highest mortality rate with 72%. The long-term prognosis is equally poor; only approximately 30% survived the first year after hospital admission.
fever and/or chills. confusion or disorientation. difficulty breathing. fast heart rate or low blood pressure (hypotension)
Most sepsis is caused by bacterial infections, but it can also be caused by viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza; fungal infections; or noninfectious insults, such as traumatic injury.
In sepsis, blood pressure drops, resulting in shock. Major organs and body systems, including the kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system may stop working properly because of poor blood flow. A change in mental status and very fast breathing may be the earliest signs of sepsis.
Sepsis can start gradually, or the symptoms can come on very suddenly. Sepsis must be treated quickly and efficiently as soon as healthcare providers suspect it. If it isn't recognized and treated quickly, sepsis can progress to severe sepsis and then to septic shock.
However, there might be other symptoms related to sepsis based on where the infection is. Abdominal pain is one such symptom.