Once sepsis is recognized, its source must be identified. Urinary tract infection is the most common cause of sepsis in the elderly and responds best to antibiotic therapy.
Any type of infection can cause sepsis, from the flu to an infected bug bite, but the most common infections that trigger sepsis among older people are respiratory, such as pneumonia, or genitourinary, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI).
What causes sepsis? 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.
It's also worth noting the sepsis survival rate in elderly populations is quite distinct from younger adults. With only mild sepsis, a full recovery is the most common outcome. But for septic shock, the mortality rate is estimated to range between 25-40% – and closer to the higher end of that figure for the elderly.
Sepsis is a primary cause of death when treatment or medical intervention is lacking, more so than breast cancer, lung cancer, or heart attack. According to research, the illness can cause a person's death in as little as 12 hours.
Patients with severe sepsis have a high ongoing mortality after severe sepsis with only 61% surviving five years. They also have a significantly lower physical QOL compared to the population norm but mental QOL scores were only slightly below population norms up to five years after severe sepsis.
As severe sepsis usually involves infection of the bloodstream, the heart is one of the first affected organs.
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis. difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast.
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 and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of sepsis.
You may need to stay in hospital for several weeks.
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.
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.
Recovery. The recovery from sepsis is dependent on the source of the infection that caused it. Strong antibiotics will most likely be required to treat the infection. It may be that oral antibiotics are suitable, but it is possible that IV antibiotics may be needed for a period of months.
The Get Ahead of Sepsis Educational Effort
Anyone can develop sepsis, but some people are at higher risk for sepsis: Adults 65 or older. People with weakened immune systems. People with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, cancer, and kidney disease.
Early-stage sepsis can be tricky to diagnose. Some electronic health record systems emit sepsis alerts when a patient shows signs of organ dysfunction and two out of four symptoms — fever, elevated heartbeat, rapid breathing and high white blood cell count — are detected.
As sepsis worsens or septic shock develops, an early sign, particularly in older people or the very young, may be confusion or decreased alertness. Blood pressure decreases, yet the skin is paradoxically warm. Later, extremities become cool and pale, with peripheral cyanosis and mottling.
Some of the most frequently isolated bacteria in sepsis are Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes), Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.
Black-colored urine and blood samples, sepsis-induced mild methemoglobinemia and acute massive hemolysis should raise concern for Clostridium Perfringens sepsis in the appropriate clinical settings.
Sepsis prognosis in elderly patients is very challenging. While mild sepsis has an average recovery period of 3-10 days across all age groups, severe sepsis recovery can take one more or longer and it's much more dependent on the organs damaged and the severity.
Many infections that cause sepsis start in the abdomen.
Septic shock is the last and most severe stage of sepsis. Sepsis occurs when your immune system has an extreme reaction to an infection. The inflammation throughout your body can cause dangerously low blood pressure. You need immediate treatment if you have septic shock.
Sepsis can develop quickly from initial infection and progress to septic shock in as little as 12 to 24 hours.1 You may have an infection that's not improving or you could even be sick without realizing it.
Are there any long-term effects of sepsis? Many people who survive sepsis recover completely and their lives return to normal. However, as with some other illnesses requiring intensive medical care, some patients have long-term effects.