Sepsis – Information for patient and relatives

What is sepsis?

Sepsis is a life-threatening, medical emergency. Sepsis develops when the mechanisms that help the body fight infection become hyper-activated, resulting in damage to the body’s own organs.

What causes sepsis?

Sepsis can develop from any infection, but the most common sources of infection that lead to sepsis are:

  • Chest infections (such as pneumonia)
  • Infections of the urinary tract
  • Infections that happen in the abdomen (e.g. appendicitis, or an infection in the gall bladder

What are the symptoms?

The UK sepsis use the word “SEPSIS” to describe some of the symptoms in adults:

  • Slurred speech or confusion
  • Extreme shivering or muscle pain
  • Passing no urine(all day)
  • Severe breathlessness
  • It feels like you’re going to die
  • Skin mottled or discoloured

If you, or someone you care for, exhibit any of these symptoms and feels unwell, call 999. Just ask “could this be sepsis?”

Sepsis in children

Sepsis can be more difficult to spot in babies and young children. The UK Sepsis Trust advise to look for the following symptoms if your child is sick.

A child may have sepsis if he or she:

  • Is breathing very fast
  • Has a ‘fit’ or convulsion
  • Looks mottled, bluish, or pale
  • Has a rash that does not fade when you press it
  • Is very lethargic or difficult to wake
  • Feels abnormally cold to touch

Sepsis in children (continued)

And in children under 5, to look for the following symptoms:

  1. Is not feeding
  2. Is vomiting repeatedly
  3. Has not passed urine for 12 hours

How is sepsis treated?

It is important that if you have sepsis, you get antibiotics as quickly as possible. You may also need to have fluids that is given through a line in your arm, or some oxygen to help your breathing.

If sepsis is confirmed, you may have to stay in hospital so nurses and doctors can look after you, and make sure that you don’t get sicker.

Sepsis recovery

In some cases of sepsis, people may take a long time to feel like they have made a full recovery after being discharged from the hospital. This may mean you feel more tired than usual, feel unable to complete your daily tasks, or you feel unable to go back to work.

The UK Sepsis Trust can provide support for survivors:

https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/support/

 

Last Modified: 3:54pm 02/09/2024

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