Sepsis is caused by the way the body responds to an infection. The infection can happen anywhere in the body. For example, a chest or urinary infection, or problems in the abdomen like burst ulcers, or even simple skin injuries like cuts and bites. Sepsis is sometimes called septicaemia or blood poisoning.
It is a life-threatening condition which makes the immune system go into overdrive as it tries to fight the infection. This can reduce the blood supply to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys, eventually leading to multiple organ failure and possibly death.
Signs and symptoms
Sepsis can be hard to spot. Anyone can develop sepsis but it is more common in young children, older people, and people whose immune systems don't work properly due to certain medicines or chronic illness. It can initially look like flu or a chest infection. Symptoms can appear different in babies and young children to those of adults and older children.
In adults and older children, look for:
slurred speech, light-headedness, confusion, or dizziness
extreme shivering or muscle pain
difficulty passing urine or passing no urine over the past 24 hours
severe breathlessness or rapid breathing
they may say they feel sicker than they ever have before
skin may become blue, grey or blotchy (on dark skin look at the palms of the hands and the base of the feet)
a high temperature
a rash that does not fade when pressed under a glass
The symptoms of sepsis vary and someone with sepsis may not have all of these. It can be especially difficult to spot in young children and people with communication difficulties, a disability, or dementia.
In babies and young children, look for:
a temperature of more than 38C in a baby under 3 months, or more than 39C in a baby aged 3-6 months
not feeding
vomiting repeatedly
passing no urine over the past 12 hours
mottled, discoloured, blue, or pale skin
a 'fit' or seizure
severe breathlessness or breathing rapidly
not responding or handling as they normally do
lethargy and/or hard to wake
feeling abnormally cold to the touch
They may not have all these symptoms.
