In the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs—lungs, kidneys, liver—may quickly fail, and the patient can die. Sepsis is a major challenge in hospitals, where it's one of the leading causes of death.
The organs more frequently affected are kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, central nervous system, and hematologic system. This multiple organ failure is the hallmark of sepsis and determines patients' course from infection to recovery or death.
As severe sepsis usually involves infection of the bloodstream, the heart is one of the first affected organs.
Septic shock: Septic shock is the last stage of sepsis and is defined by extremely low blood pressure, despite lots of IV (intravenous) fluids.
During sepsis, systemic hypotension, disturbed perfusion of the microcirculation, and direct tissue-toxicity caused by inflammatory immune reaction can occur and contribute to organ failure.
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.
In severe cases, one or more organ systems fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs—lungs, kidneys, liver—may quickly fail, and the patient can die.
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.
They concluded that septic patients have a high mortality rate after two years of hospital discharge compared to patients recovered from other diseases; the percentage of death ranged from 22% to 70%.
An estimated 27% of people with sepsis in hospitals and 42% of people in intensive care units will die.
Complications. As sepsis worsens, blood flow to vital organs, such as your brain, heart and kidneys, becomes impaired. Sepsis may cause abnormal blood clotting that results in small clots or burst blood vessels that damage or destroy tissues.
Septic shock is the most severe level and is diagnosed when your blood pressure drops to dangerous levels.
Organ failure symptoms include low grade fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea in the first 24 hours. Within the following 24-72 hours, lung failure may set in. This can be followed by bacteremia, as well as renal, intestinal, and liver failure.
People are more likely to develop sepsis in the community than in the hospital – up to 87% of cases start from infections people contracted at work, school, or home. Sepsis can start gradually, or the symptoms can come on very suddenly.
The red flag symptoms of sepsis are: New onset of confusion or altered mental state. High temperature. Fast heartrate. Fast and shallow breathing.
"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.
Patients with sepsis accounted for 45% of ICU bed days and 33% of hospital bed days. The ICU length of stay (LOS) was between 4 and 8 days and the median hospital LOS was 18 days.
But sepsis is one of the top 10 causes of disease-related death in the United States. 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.
Most people make a full recovery from sepsis. But it can take time. You might continue to have physical and emotional symptoms. These can last for months, or even years, after you had sepsis.
Sepsis is caused by an infection. Sepsis is triggered by the body's immune system response when the infection reaches the bloodstream. Chemicals are released into the bloodstream resulting in inflammation. This can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and even death.
Left untreated, toxins produced by bacteria can damage the small blood vessels, causing them to leak fluid into the surrounding tissues. This can affect your heart's ability to pump blood to your organs, which lowers your blood pressure and means blood doesn't reach vital organs, such as the brain and liver.
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.
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.
High heart rate or weak pulse. Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold. Confusion or disorientation. Shortness of breath.