Achi news desk-
Without prompt diagnosis and treatment, previously healthy adults and children can die within hours of sepsis developing.
What is sepsis?
Sometimes referred to as blood poisoning or septicaemia, sepsis is a life-threatening condition where the body’s immune system reacts abnormally to an infection by going into overdrive.
It begins to attack the person’s own tissues and organs. Unless diagnosed and treated quickly, sepsis can lead to shock, multiple organ failure, and death.
Surgery is sometimes required to remove limbs and tissue damaged by sepsis. Where sepsis develops into septic shock, the mortality rate is approximately 50%.
What causes sepsis?
Any type of infection can cause sepsis – bacterial, viral, or fungal – although bacterial infections are the most common trigger.
These can include common ailments such as urinary tract infections or Strep throat, or where bacteria enter the body through breaks in the skin.
However, even a common respiratory illness such as flu or Covid can lead to sepsis.
The most common bugs behind cases of sepsis are: Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as ‘Staph’; E. coli; and some types of Streptococcus.
How common is sepsis?
There are approximately 20,000 cases of sepsis each year in Scotland, and around 4000 deaths are caused by sepsis.
Who is most at risk?
Sepsis always starts with an infection. Anyone can develop sepsis, even if they are otherwise fit and healthy.
However, people are at the highest risk if they are over 65 or younger.
Sepsis is also more common in people with a weakened immune system; who have had sepsis before; living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, cancer, and kidney disease; or have recently recovered from a serious illness or hospitalization.
It is not clear exactly what causes some people to develop sepsis in response to common infections, although genetics play a role.
People are much more likely to experience sepsis if a first degree relative has had it, or died from it.
How is it diagnosed and treated?
There is no single diagnostic test for sepsis. Doctors will usually screen for evidence of bacterial or viral infections – for example through urine and stool samples or throat swabs.
They will also look for signs of fever, very low blood pressure, increased heart rate, and difficulty breathing.
Sepsis is usually treated with antibiotics and by maintaining blood flow to organs.
What are the symptoms to look out for?
The signs of sepsis can vary depending on the age of the person affected.
- In adults, the key symptoms are: slurred speech or confusion; extreme tremors or muscle pain; passing no urine (in a day); severe shortness of breath; feeling like you’re going to die; skin appears mottled or discolored
- In children: breathing very quickly; ‘fit’ or bulging; skin looking mottled, bluish, or pale; it has a rash that doesn’t fade when you squeeze it; very lethargic or difficult to wake; feels unusually cold to the touch
- In infants and children under five: do not feed; repeated vomiting; not passing urine for 12 hours.
