Sepsis

Sepsis is a very dangerous disease that occurs when an infection gets into a person's blood. People often use the word sepsis to describe septicemia (blood poisoning), but septicemia is only one type of sepsis.^[1][2]

Sepsis is a severe, life-threatening reaction to a viral, bacterial, fungal, or other infection. If bacteria infects the blood, the infection is called bacteremia (which can worsen into septicemia). A viral infection in the blood is called viremia, and a fungal infection that gets into the blood is called fungemia.

Most people who get infections do not develop sepsis. Normally a person's immune system can fight germs and overcome infections. But in sepsis something goes wrong. At some point, the pathogen gets into the person's blood or body tissues, and spreads the infection there.^[1]

Sepsis is a medical emergency which can cause death and requires immediate treatment.^[3]

Symptoms

People with sepsis often get fevers and inflammations all over their bodies. These symptoms probably happen because the immune system is trying to fight the disease. The immune system reacts so strongly that it can damage a person's organs.

Cause of death

Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency that needs immediate treatment

In the United States, sepsis is the leading cause of death for ICU patients which do not have heart problems. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows it is the tenth most common cause of death overall.^[4]

Several types of people develop and die from sepsis more often than the average person:

• Older people
• People who are immunocompromised (their immune system is weak - for example, because of chemotherapy)
• People with severe illnesses

About 1% to 2% of people who are hospitalized develop sepsis. However, people with sepsis take up almost 25% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. It is a major cause of death in intensive care units worldwide, with mortality rates that range from:

• 20% for sepsis
• 40% for severe sepsis
• Over 60% for septic shock

More severe forms

Sepsis can be severe or even cause septic shock. With severe sepsis, one or more organs fail to work. In septic shock, a person has sepsis and a very low blood pressure.

Treatment

Today, the bacterial forms of sepsis can be treated with antibiotics. Transfusions of un-infected blood may help. A person whose organs failed might need organ transplants.

It is extremely important for sepsis treatment to begin as quickly as possible. If it is not treated, the chances of death increase by 5% to 10% every hour.

About half of people who get sepsis, but do not get treatment, die from the condition. In most cases, quick treatment increases a person's chance of survival.

Related pages

• Infection
• Bacteria
• Virus
• Fungus
• Septic shock

References

1. "Sepsis". eMedicine Online Medical Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
2. "Septicemia". eMedicine Online Medical Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
3. "Sepsis". NHS. 23 October 2017.
4. Martin GS, Mannino DM, Eaton S, Moss M (2003-04-17). "The epidemiology of sepsis in the United States from 1979 through 2000". N Engl J Med. 348 (16): 1546–54. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa022139. PMID 12700374. Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2008-04-28.

Other websites

• Society of Critical Care Medicine Archived 2006-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock (and other guidelines)