A person with sepsis will be admitted to a hospital, usually in the intensive care unit (ICU). Antibiotics are usually given through a vein (intravenously).
Doctors typically treat people with sepsis in hospital intensive care units. They try to stop an infection, protect vital organs, and prevent a drop in blood pressure. This almost always includes the use of antibiotic medications and fluids.
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. Managing sepsis at home, after discharge from the hospital includes addressing several factors.
The findings suggest that outpatient treatment of patients with sepsis is more common than previously recognized but is not associated with higher mortality than hospital admission.
This has been called post-sepsis syndrome (PSS). Sepsis survivors may have ongoing healthcare needs that require coordination after discharge. Discharge planning for sepsis patients can support the management of new and persisting physical, cognitive and mental health issues, and enhance patient recovery.
Sepsis Survival Rates
While most people recover from mild sepsis, the mortality rate for septic shock is approximately 40%. Additionally, a person who survives severe sepsis is at a higher risk of getting future infections.
A medical ICU will have far more community-acquired infections than an ICU admitting elective surgical patients. Whatever the source, infection leading to sepsis remains a major intensive care problem that has a mortality of at least 38%.
A 2018 retrospective analysis of more than 2 million U.S. sepsis hospitalizations reported that the median length of stay (LOS) for sepsis increased with disease severity ranging from 7.7 days, 10 days, and 12.6 days for sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock, respectively.
Patients with sepsis often require treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), and previous studies have reported that one-third of all sepsis deaths occur within 3 days of ICU admission [3]. As such, early identification of clinical deterioration and appropriate management are needed to improve outcomes [4].
For example, the “golden hour” as applied to the treatment of critically children and adults with severe sepsis and septic shock is based upon early recognition, early administration of antibiotics, and early reversal of the shock state.
Sepsis can overwhelm the body. This can cause vital organs to shut down. This usually starts with the kidneys. Blood pressure can drop dangerously low.
Mild Sepsis Recovery
In mild sepsis, complete recovery is possible at a quicker rate. On average, the recovery period from this condition takes about three to ten days, depending on the appropriate treatment response, including medication.
Sepsis is a medical emergency and can be fatal if not treated quickly. If you suspect you or someone else has sepsis, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Immediate treatment in hospital is vital.
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.
Early symptoms include fever and feeling unwell, faint, weak, or confused. You may notice your heart rate and breathing are faster than usual. If it's not treated, sepsis can harm your organs, make it hard to breathe, and mess up your thinking.
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.
Diagnosis and treatment
When sepsis is caught in an early stage, it can be treated similarly as the infection itself. “Hospitals treat people with IV antibiotics, IV fluids, oxygen and blood work/testing to find the source of the infection,” Gonzales said.
Blood tests may reveal the following signs suggestive of sepsis: Elevated or low white blood cells – Higher than usual levels of leukocytes, known as white blood cells (WBCs), are a sign of a current infection, while too few WBCs indicate that a person is at higher risk of developing one.
You will only be discharged from the ICU when you no longer need the special drugs and machines to support your body and when you are strong enough to cope on a general unit. It can take weeks of treatment in the hospital overall. Some people go to a rehabilitation facility before going home.
Clinically identified cases of septic shock are more likely to pass away within 28 days than undiagnosed cases. Within the first week of diagnosis, sepsis that progresses to severe sepsis or septic shock increases the risk of death.
Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Treatment. Sometimes surgery is required to remove tissue damaged by the infection. 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.
The three stages of sepsis are: sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. When your immune system goes into overdrive in response to an infection, sepsis may develop as a result.
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.