Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Sepsis is a very serious, potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when a localized infection, like aurinary tract infection (UTI)or surgical wound infection, moves into the bloodstream. As the infection spreads, the body launches a massive inflammatory response, causing symptoms like a fever and a fast heart and breathing rate. If untreated, sepsis may progress intoseptic shock, which causes low blood pressure and subsequentmulti-organ failure.
Treatment of sepsis and septic shock requires treatment of the underlying infection, as well as interventions to alleviate the effects and to prevent organ damage.
Verywell / Gary Ferster
Sepsis Symptoms
Symptoms and signs of sepsis include the following:
As sepsis worsens, septic shock may develop, which indicates that the organs in your body are not being sufficiently perfused—that is, they’re not getting enough blood and oxygen.
Potential symptoms and signs of septic shock include:
If you experience any symptoms of sepsis or septic shock, seek immediate medical treatment.
Sepsis always begins with an infection. There are several factors that increase a person’s risk for sepsis and septic shock, although healthy people with no risk factors can develop sepsis as well.
Some key risk factors for sepsis and septic shock include:
Women who are pregnant or who have given birth or experienced a miscarriage within the prior six weeks, newborns and infants under the age of 1, and theelderly(above the age of 75) are also at an increased risk for developing sepsis and septic shock.
How Sepsis Develops
Sepsis and septic shock are complex processes. Sepsis occurs when the body releases inflammatory proteins and enzymes in response to an infection (usually bacterial). Rarely, a virus, fungus, or parasite is the cause.
These stresses are so overwhelming for the body that it becomes impossible to compensate without medical intervention. As the sepsis worsens, septic shock may develop. With this, the oxygen delivery to organs in the body becomes severely jeopardized to the point that organs, especially the liver, kidney, intestines, heart, and lungs, begin to fail.
One of the difficulties in diagnosing sepsis quickly and accurately is that the symptoms are similar to those of other health conditions, such asfood poisoning, theflu, or heart and lung problems. That said, sepsis is relatively rare compared with the common flu, so it often isn’t considered until it worsens and the following physical exam findings develop:
In addition to performing a physical exam, a healthcare provider will order several blood tests to help diagnose sepsis or septic shock. Examples of these blood tests include acomplete blood count (CBC), electrolyte panel,creatinine,liver function test, and lactate level. Blood and urine cultures will also be ordered. In some cases, other body fluid cultures—for example,synovial fluidorcerebrospinal fluid—may be ordered as well.
Imaging tests may be ordered, such as a chest X-ray for possiblepneumoniaor acomputed tomography (CT) scanto look for an infected fluid collection (abscess).
Overall, the main goals of sepsis/septic shock treatment are to:
Optimizing Organ Perfusion
In order to provide adequate blood flow to the organs, oxygen may be provided and acentral lineis usually placed in a vein in the neck or the groin to provide large volumes of fluid rapidly.
In addition to intravenous fluids, blood or medications that help raise the blood pressure (called vasopressors) are usually also administered in the central line.
If septic shock develops, certain organs may fail to the point that an intervention is needed, such asdialysisfor kidney failure or a ventilator to help with breathing.
Treating the Infection
Even before the source of the infection is known, broad-spectrum antibiotics (and less commonly, antifungals) are usually given. Then, when the source of the infection is found, other interventions, such as draining an abscess or removing an infected catheter, may be needed.
Antibiotics may be adjusted based on the type of bacteria found in a culture.
The only way to prevent sepsis is to prevent infections, such aspost-operative infections. Infection prevention techniques, such asgood wound careand frequenthand washing, can help with this.
Specifically, when it comes to washing your hands, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends these five steps:
If soap and water are not available, using hand sanitizer is your next best option.
Other ways to prevent infection include staying up-to-date with your vaccines and promptly getting medical attention for any infection you have.
20 Vaccines You Should Know About
A Word From Verywell
A diagnosis of sepsis is extremely serious, as it can rapidly progress to septic shock, which may result in death. The best way to prevent sepsis is to prevent an infection in the first place, and it’s important to remember that if you do develop an infection, you should seek prompt and appropriate care.
4 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.Merck Manual Professional Version.Sepsis and Septic Shock.Sadeq F, Poster J, Chu C, Weber J, Lydon M, Begis MD, Sheridan RL, Uygun K.Specific patterns of vital sign fluctuations predict infection and enable sepsis diagnosis in pediatric burn patients.PLoS One.2022 Feb 7;17(2):e0263421. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263421Polat G, Ugan RA, Cadirci E, Halici Z.Sepsis and Septic Shock: Current Treatment Strategies and New Approaches.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(1):53–58. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17062Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.When and How to Wash Your Hands.
4 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.Merck Manual Professional Version.Sepsis and Septic Shock.Sadeq F, Poster J, Chu C, Weber J, Lydon M, Begis MD, Sheridan RL, Uygun K.Specific patterns of vital sign fluctuations predict infection and enable sepsis diagnosis in pediatric burn patients.PLoS One.2022 Feb 7;17(2):e0263421. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263421Polat G, Ugan RA, Cadirci E, Halici Z.Sepsis and Septic Shock: Current Treatment Strategies and New Approaches.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(1):53–58. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17062Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.When and How to Wash Your Hands.
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.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Sepsis and Septic Shock.Sadeq F, Poster J, Chu C, Weber J, Lydon M, Begis MD, Sheridan RL, Uygun K.Specific patterns of vital sign fluctuations predict infection and enable sepsis diagnosis in pediatric burn patients.PLoS One.2022 Feb 7;17(2):e0263421. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263421Polat G, Ugan RA, Cadirci E, Halici Z.Sepsis and Septic Shock: Current Treatment Strategies and New Approaches.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(1):53–58. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17062Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.When and How to Wash Your Hands.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Sepsis and Septic Shock.
Sadeq F, Poster J, Chu C, Weber J, Lydon M, Begis MD, Sheridan RL, Uygun K.Specific patterns of vital sign fluctuations predict infection and enable sepsis diagnosis in pediatric burn patients.PLoS One.2022 Feb 7;17(2):e0263421. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263421
Polat G, Ugan RA, Cadirci E, Halici Z.Sepsis and Septic Shock: Current Treatment Strategies and New Approaches.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(1):53–58. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17062
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.When and How to Wash Your Hands.
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