Learn About Sepsis
Sepsis is an illness in which the body has a severe, inflammatory response to bacteria or other germs.
Septicemia; Sepsis syndrome; Systemic inflammatory response syndrome; SIRS; Septic shock
The symptoms of sepsis are not caused by the germs themselves. Instead, chemicals the body releases cause the response.
A bacterial infection anywhere in the body may set off the response that leads to sepsis. Common places where an infection might start include the:
- Bloodstream
- Bones (common in children)
- Bowel (usually seen with peritonitis)
- Kidneys (upper urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis or urosepsis)
- Lining of the brain (meningitis)
- Liver or gallbladder
- Lungs (bacterial pneumonia)
- Skin (cellulitis)
For people in or recently discharged from the hospital, common sites of infection include intravenous lines, surgical wounds, surgical drains, and sites of skin breakdown, known as bedsores or pressure ulcers.
Sepsis most commonly affects infants or older adults.
In a person with sepsis, the blood pressure drops, resulting in shock (the inability to provide necessary blood perfusion to all of the organs in the body). Major organs and body systems, including the kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system may stop working properly because of poor blood flow.
A change in mental status and very fast breathing may be the earliest signs of sepsis.
In general, symptoms of sepsis can include:
- Chills
- Confusion or delirium
- Fever or low body temperature (hypothermia)
- Lightheadedness due to low blood pressure
- Rapid heartbeat
- Skin rash or mottled skin
- Warm skin
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) and need to be given as quickly as possible.
Other medical treatments include:
- Oxygen to help with breathing
- Fluids given through a vein
- Medicines that increase blood pressure
- Dialysis if there is kidney failure
- A breathing machine (mechanical ventilation) if there is lung failure
Anand Kumar is a Plastic Surgeon and an Infectious Disease provider in Savannah, Georgia. Dr. Kumar is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Sepsis. His top areas of expertise are Sepsis, H1N1 Influenza, Gallbladder Disease, Endoscopy, and Osteotomy. Dr. Kumar is currently accepting new patients.
University Of Pittsburgh Physicians, Department Of Medicine, Division Of Infectious Disease
John Mellors is an Infectious Disease provider in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Mellors is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Sepsis. His top areas of expertise are HIV/AIDS, Sepsis, COVID-19, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Duke Infectious Diseases Clinic - Clinic 1K
Vance Fowler is an Infectious Disease provider in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Fowler is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Sepsis. His top areas of expertise are Sepsis, Endocarditis, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), and Infective Endocarditis. Dr. Fowler is currently accepting new patients.
Sepsis is often life threatening, especially in people with a weak immune system or a long-term (chronic) illness.
Damage caused by a decrease in blood flow to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys may take time to improve. There may be long-term problems with these organs.
The risk of sepsis can be reduced by getting all recommended vaccines.
In the hospital, careful hand washing can help prevent hospital-acquired infections that lead to sepsis. Prompt removal of urinary catheters and IV lines when they are no longer needed can also help prevent infections that lead to sepsis.
Summary: The goal of this study is to compare two different ways of dosing cefepime, an antibiotic for very sick patients - the usual approach to dosing or a new dosing method. The new dosing method uses only doses that are available in normal care, but choosing between the different doses is based on more information about the patient's body including their kidney function. The primary purpose of this stu...
Summary: This is a study comparing 3 years of retrospective data (pre-implementation) to 2 years of prospective data after the implementation of a pediatric version of Electronic Cardiac Arrest Risk Triage (pediatric eCART), a clinical decision support (CDS) tool that uses electronic health records (EHR) to identify patients with high risk for life threatening outcomes. Up to 30,000 encounters with pediatr...
Published Date: August 29, 2024
Published By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Gordon AC, Russell JA. Shock syndromes related to sepsis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 94.
Shapiro NI, Jones AE. Sepsis syndrome. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 127.
van der Poll T, Wiersinga WJ. Sepsis and septic shock. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 73.