Following on from my previous article about infection, it seems appropriate to discuss Sepsis.
At the most basic, and non-medical, level, Sepsis can simply be described as an out-of-control infection and it does not require a specific injury or wound for an infection to develop into Sepsis; simply thing of the times you may have had a chest or throat infection which has come from nowhere.
Sepsis happens when your body’s immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs; it cannot be caught from another person. Sepsis is sometimes called Septicaemia or blood poisoning and often confused with other illnesses such as a cold or flu.
Sepsis, if not treated quickly, can be fatal
If you suspect that someone has Sepsis then they need urgent medical attention; this is not the time to make an appointment to see your GP or other health practitioner and you should be calling 999 or taking them immediately to A & E to be assessed.
Sepsis can be very hard to spot in especially in babies and young children, people with dementia, people with a learning disability and people who have difficulty in communicating.
Signs & symptoms of Sepsis in a baby or young child are:
Blue, pale or grey/blotchy skin, loss of colour
A rash that doesn’t fade when you roll a glass over it
Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Making a grunting noise when breathing or their stomach sucking under their ribcage
A weak, high-pitched cry that’s not like their normal cry
Not responding like they normally do
Not interested in feeding or normal activities
Being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake
For adults and older children you may see:
Blue, pale or grey/blotchy skin, loss of colour
A rash that doesn’t fade when you roll a glass over it
Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
The signs and symptoms of Sepsis are very similar to those of Meningitis which will be the subject of next week’s article
For more information about Sepsis then go to the NHS website by clicking here or The Sepsis Trust by clicking here
Newsletter Signup
Signup today to get receive regular newsletters and offers straight to your inbox.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
3rd Party Cookies
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!