With quick diagnosis and treatment, many people with mild sepsis survive. Without treatment, most people with more serious stages of sepsis will die. Even with treatment, 30% to 40% of people with septic shock, the most severe stage of sepsis, will 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.
Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of an infection. Without quick treatment, sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
Sepsis is not something you can treat at home. Go to the hospital or call 911 if you have symptoms. Sepsis is a rare complication of an infection and occurs when an extreme immune system response triggers widespread inflammation throughout the body.
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. It causes symptoms such as fever, chills, rapid breathing, and confusion.
This can cause vital organs to shut down. This usually starts with the kidneys. Blood pressure can drop dangerously low. This can cause less oxygen and nutrients to reach your kidneys.
Treatment for sepsis
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.
Generally, people who develop sepsis will start feeling more tired or confused and may have shaking or chills. However, these symptoms can also appear with other types of infection, so it's important to call your healthcare provider if you have an infection that is not getting better with treatment.
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.
Sepsis is a medical emergency, CDC says. It can be stopped if caught in time.
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.
Most people recover from mild sepsis, but the mortality rate for septic shock is about 30% to 40%. Also, an episode of severe sepsis raises the risk for future infections.
The stage at which sepsis is diagnosed also influences survival chances, as those initially clinically diagnosed with septic shock have an increased chance of dying within 28 days. Progression to severe sepsis and/or septic shock during the first week also increases chances of mortality.
If not managed early enough, sepsis can worsen and cause septic shock and body organs may shut down. Sepsis can cause organ damage and may require organ support in such cases which maybe short term, long term or over a lifetime.
Sepsis is well known to cause a high patient death rate (up to 50%) during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay.
People with sepsis often develop a hemorrhagic rash—a cluster of tiny blood spots that look like pinpricks in the skin. If untreated, these gradually get bigger and begin to look like fresh bruises. These bruises then join together to form larger areas of purple skin damage and discoloration.
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast. a weak, high-pitched cry that's not like their normal cry.
Sepsis is known as the 'silent killer' because its symptoms often mimic that of other illnesses such as the flu or gastro. But, if it is identified and treated early, patients can recover.
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.
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.
Sepsis is different from other serious or chronic diseases that often lead to a hospice diagnosis because of the speed at which it develops. If not treated and addressed quickly, a sepsis-related infection can spread quickly throughout the body and worsen, often within a matter of hours or a few days.
Severe sepsis requires immediate treatment in the critical care area for a period of one month or more. Recovery is achievable, but it takes a longer time.
Once a person is diagnosed with sepsis, she will be treated with antibiotics, IV fluids and support for failing organs, such as dialysis or mechanical ventilation. This usually means a person needs to be hospitalized, often in an ICU.