Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSepsis and InflammationSepticemia and InfectionSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Sepsis and Inflammation
Septicemia and Infection
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Sepsis and septicemia are medical terms that refer to infections and your body’s response to those infections. Both words originally stem from a Greek word,sēpsis, which means “to make rotten” or “to putrefy.”
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Sepsis andsepticemiasometimes are used interchangeably, but they’re not truly the same—although the terms are closely related, their definitions are different.
Learn the differences between sepsis and septicemia, as well as the importance of seeing a healthcare provider for a diagnosis so you can receive the proper treatment.
Sepsis is defined as an extreme inflammatory response to infection.
The inflammation in sepsis can produce blood clots and leaking blood vessels. Without proper treatment, this can damage your organs and potentially kill you.
Sepsis can progress to septic shock with your blood pressure dropping and your bodily systems starting to shut down. Your lungs, liver, and kidneys can fail.
Thus, sepsis is a medical emergency. In fact, sepsis kills almost 270,000 Americans each year, and survivors can have life-long effects from the disease. The U.S. has more than 1.7 million annual cases.
The Role of Inflammation
Sepsis and septicemia can have some similar symptoms, but not all symptoms are the same.
Sepsis
If you’re experiencingsymptoms of sepsis, you should seek immediate medical help. Symptoms include:
In some people, the first signs of sepsis are:
Elderly people, babies, young children, people with weakened immune systems, and people with long-term chronic illnesses are most at risk from sepsis.
Septicemia
Some people with septicemia are asymptomatic or have only mild fever, but other symptoms include:
Just like with sepsis, if you are experiencing symptoms of septicemia, you should seek immediate medical help.
Although sepsis and septicemia are both related to infection in the body, the causes may be different.
Although many different infections can cause sepsis, some possible causes include:
Sepsis can also be acquired in a hospital from contaminated intravenous lines and surgical incisions.
Some of these infections result from so-called “superbugs,” which are types of bacteria that are resistant to many different antibiotics. These infections and the resulting sepsis are very difficult to treat.
According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States had 173,690 cases of hospital-acquired sepsis in 2014, representing roughly 6% of all hospital admissions.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi can get into the bloodstream through various ways, such as:
If the body is exposed to a small number of germs, it can usually get rid of them on its own. But if germs grow and spread, it can lead to sepsis.
Septicemia, alsocalledbacteremia, is a bacterial infection that spreads into the bloodstream.Sepsisis the body’s response to that infection, during which the immune system will trigger extreme, and potentially dangerous, whole-body inflammation.
Healthcare providers and other medical personnel rarely use the term septicemia anymore. Instead, they often use “bacteremia” to refer to the bacteria present in the bloodstream. and “sepsis” to refer to the inflammatory response.
Other types of infections, such as fungal infections, have different names.
However, some healthcare providers and hospitals do still use the older term “septicemia” interchangeably with sepsis, in some cases. If you’re confused about what exactly your healthcare provider means, ask them to explain.
Tests may include:
To diagnose septicemia, a healthcare provider will evaluate any symptoms that are present and do blood tests to identify the bacterium, virus, or fungus.
It’s important to get the proper diagnosis because treatment may vary.
Healthcare providers treat people with sepsis in hospital intensive care units. They try to stop the infection, protect the vital organs, and prevent a drop in blood pressure. Treatment usually includes:
More serious stages of sepsis can involve life support measures, such as a ventilator (breathing tube), kidney dialysis, or surgery to remove an infection.
Treatment may require adjusting antibiotics, draining any abscesses, and removing any internal devices if they are the suspected source of bacteria.
Oral antibiotics may be given once the source of bacteria is controlled and symptoms have significantly improved.
Difference Between Sepsis and Septic Shock
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rello J, Valenzuela-Sánchez F, Ruiz-Rodriguez M, Moyano S.Sepsis: a review of advances in management.Adv Ther. 2017;34(11):2393-2411. doi:10.1007/s12325-017-0622-8Hotchkiss RS, Moldawer LL, Opal SM, Reinhart K, Turnbull IR, Vincent JL.Sepsis and septic shock.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16045. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.45Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sepsis.Marco F.Molecular methods for septicemia diagnosis.Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. 2017;35(9):586-592. doi:10.1016/j.eimce.2017.03.023Merck Manual.Bacteremia - Infectious Diseases.Owusu-Ansah S.Sepsis in infants & children. American Academy of Pediatrics.Rhee C, Dantes R, Epstein L, et al.Incidence and trends of sepsis in US hospitals using clinical vs claims data, 2009-2014.JAMA. 2017;318(13):1241-1249. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13836Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How is sepsis diagnosed and treated?National Institutes of Health.Sepsis.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rello J, Valenzuela-Sánchez F, Ruiz-Rodriguez M, Moyano S.Sepsis: a review of advances in management.Adv Ther. 2017;34(11):2393-2411. doi:10.1007/s12325-017-0622-8Hotchkiss RS, Moldawer LL, Opal SM, Reinhart K, Turnbull IR, Vincent JL.Sepsis and septic shock.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16045. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.45Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sepsis.Marco F.Molecular methods for septicemia diagnosis.Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. 2017;35(9):586-592. doi:10.1016/j.eimce.2017.03.023Merck Manual.Bacteremia - Infectious Diseases.Owusu-Ansah S.Sepsis in infants & children. American Academy of Pediatrics.Rhee C, Dantes R, Epstein L, et al.Incidence and trends of sepsis in US hospitals using clinical vs claims data, 2009-2014.JAMA. 2017;318(13):1241-1249. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13836Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How is sepsis diagnosed and treated?National Institutes of Health.Sepsis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Rello J, Valenzuela-Sánchez F, Ruiz-Rodriguez M, Moyano S.Sepsis: a review of advances in management.Adv Ther. 2017;34(11):2393-2411. doi:10.1007/s12325-017-0622-8Hotchkiss RS, Moldawer LL, Opal SM, Reinhart K, Turnbull IR, Vincent JL.Sepsis and septic shock.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16045. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.45Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sepsis.Marco F.Molecular methods for septicemia diagnosis.Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. 2017;35(9):586-592. doi:10.1016/j.eimce.2017.03.023Merck Manual.Bacteremia - Infectious Diseases.Owusu-Ansah S.Sepsis in infants & children. American Academy of Pediatrics.Rhee C, Dantes R, Epstein L, et al.Incidence and trends of sepsis in US hospitals using clinical vs claims data, 2009-2014.JAMA. 2017;318(13):1241-1249. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13836Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How is sepsis diagnosed and treated?National Institutes of Health.Sepsis.
Rello J, Valenzuela-Sánchez F, Ruiz-Rodriguez M, Moyano S.Sepsis: a review of advances in management.Adv Ther. 2017;34(11):2393-2411. doi:10.1007/s12325-017-0622-8
Hotchkiss RS, Moldawer LL, Opal SM, Reinhart K, Turnbull IR, Vincent JL.Sepsis and septic shock.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16045. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.45
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sepsis.
Marco F.Molecular methods for septicemia diagnosis.Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. 2017;35(9):586-592. doi:10.1016/j.eimce.2017.03.023
Merck Manual.Bacteremia - Infectious Diseases.
Owusu-Ansah S.Sepsis in infants & children. American Academy of Pediatrics.
Rhee C, Dantes R, Epstein L, et al.Incidence and trends of sepsis in US hospitals using clinical vs claims data, 2009-2014.JAMA. 2017;318(13):1241-1249. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13836
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How is sepsis diagnosed and treated?
National Institutes of Health.Sepsis.
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