With sepsis, you feel extremely unwell and rapidly deteriorating, experiencing symptoms like confusion, rapid breathing, extreme shivering or fever, fast heart rate, severe pain, and often feeling "like you might die," with skin that can become blotchy, pale, or blue and a rash that doesn't fade under pressure. It's a medical emergency, so urgent care is needed if you suspect sepsis, as it's a combination of symptoms indicating the body's overwhelming response to infection.
Early warning signs of sepsis include fever or low temperature, chills, rapid breathing or heart rate, confusion, slurred speech, extreme pain or discomfort, clammy/sweaty skin, and reduced urine output, with children potentially showing fewer wet nappies, vomiting, or a non-fading rash. These symptoms, often appearing after an infection, signal a severe body response and require immediate emergency care, as sepsis can rapidly worsen, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The six main symptoms of sepsis are: Shortness of breath. Fever, chills, shivering, or feeling very cold. High heart rate or low blood pressure.
To check yourself for sepsis, watch for a combination of symptoms like fast breathing, rapid heart rate, confusion or drowsiness, fever or low temperature, shivering, extreme pain/discomfort, clammy skin, or a rash that doesn't fade, and decreased urination, especially if you have an infection. Sepsis is a medical emergency, so if you suspect it, seek immediate medical help by calling emergency services or going to the hospital.
Sepsis is your body's extreme reaction to an infection. When you have an infection, your immune system works to try to fight it. But sometimes your immune system stops fighting the infection and starts damaging your normal tissues and organs, leading to widespread inflammation throughout your body.
Sepsis can be hard to spot. At the start you may look okay but feel really bad. Call 999 if you or someone else has any of these signs of sepsis. Signs of sepsis are: • Pale, blotchy or blue skin, lips or tongue.
Early warning signs of sepsis include fever or low temperature, chills, rapid breathing or heart rate, confusion, slurred speech, extreme pain or discomfort, clammy/sweaty skin, and reduced urine output, with children potentially showing fewer wet nappies, vomiting, or a non-fading rash. These symptoms, often appearing after an infection, signal a severe body response and require immediate emergency care, as sepsis can rapidly worsen, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of sepsis
Sweating for no clear reason. Feeling lightheaded. Shivering. Symptoms specific to the type of infection, such as painful urination from a urinary tract infection or worsening cough from pneumonia.
At a glance. Sepsis is a fast-moving, life-threatening emergency caused by an extreme immune response to infection. Use TIME: Temperature, Infection, Mental decline, Extremely ill — to recognize sepsis symptoms early. Prevent sepsis by treating infections early, practicing hygiene and staying current on vaccinations.
Because sepsis can happen quickly, it is important to be alert for early signs. The most common signs include the following: Source of infection (cough, sore throat, abdominal pain, pain with urination) and fevers. High heart rate.
Many sepsis survivors have said that when they were ill, it was the worst they ever felt. It was the worst sore throat, worst abdominal pain, or they felt that they were going to die. Children developing sepsis may exhibit different symptoms, as seen below.
Some medical issues that can mimic the symptoms of sepsis are as follows:
Sepsis can be triggered by an infection in any part of the body. The most common sites of infection that lead to sepsis are the: lungs.
Stage 1: Sepsis
A high fever above 101℉ (38℃) or low temperature below 96.8℉ (36℃) A heart rate above 90 beats per minute. A bacterial infection, fungal infection, or viral infection confirmed through positive blood culture results. Rapid breathing rate higher than 20 breaths per minute.
A consensus conference in 1991 defined “sepsis” as the combination of an infection with two or more features of what was called the “systemic inflammatory response syndrome” (SIRS): altered body temperature, elevated pulse rate, elevated respiratory rate and abnormal white blood cell count6.
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%.
Sepsis symptoms can start very subtly, or they can come on suddenly. The symptoms may mimic flu or another virus. It's important to look for the warning signs of sepsis. Spotting these symptoms early could prevent the body from entering septic shock and could save a life.
Kidney failure can also be a result of sepsis. Sepsis can overwhelm the body. This can cause vital organs to shut down. This usually starts with the kidneys.
Sepsis comes in three stages, each more severe than the last. The first stage is called sepsis, sometimes called mild sepsis. This initial infection is when your body's response to the disease gets out of hand. If not treated quickly, it can progress to severe sepsis, where organs like your kidneys start to fail.
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. a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis. difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast.
These infections are most often linked to sepsis:
Identifying Early Signs of Sepsis
Recognizing the early signs of sepsis is vital for ensuring timely medical intervention. Common indicators include a sudden fever, increased heart rate, and rapid breathing. These symptoms might seem benign at first, but they can quickly escalate.
Sepsis is diagnosed through a combination of rapid clinical assessment (fever, fast heart/breathing rate, confusion, low blood pressure) and tests like blood cultures, CBC, lactate, CRP, and urine/fluid analysis, often using tools like qSOFA, to find the infection source and check organ function, as there's no single test for it. Doctors look for signs of organ dysfunction alongside suspected infection, ordering imaging (X-rays, CT scans) to pinpoint the cause, with immediate antibiotic treatment crucial even before definitive results arrive.
Diagnosing sepsis
Blood and urine tests and imaging scans may be used to help identify the type and location of infection. People at risk of sepsis or who previously have had sepsis should be proactive in talking with their healthcare team about the possibility of sepsis when they are feeling ill.
a change in your mental state, like confusion or disorientation. diarrhoea. nausea and vomiting. cold, clammy and pale skin.