Sepsis is a very dangerous disease that occurs when an infection gets into a person's blood. People often use the word sepsis to describe septicemia (blood poisoning), but septicemia is only one type of sepsis.[1][2]
Sepsis is a severe, life-threatening reaction to a viral, bacterial, fungal, or other infection. If bacteria infects the blood, the infection is called bacteremia (which can worsen into septicemia). A viral infection in the blood is called viremia, and a fungal infection that gets into the blood is called fungemia.
Most people who get infections do not develop sepsis. Normally a person's immune system can fight germs and overcome infections. But in sepsis something goes wrong. At some point, the pathogen gets into the person's blood or body tissues, and spreads the infection there.[1]
Sepsis is a medical emergency which can cause death and requires immediate treatment.[3]
People with sepsis often get fevers and inflammations all over their bodies. These symptoms probably happen because the immune system is trying to fight the disease. The immune system reacts so strongly that it can damage a person's organs.
In the United States, sepsis is the leading cause of death for ICU patients which do not have heart problems. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows it is the tenth most common cause of death overall.[4]
Several types of people develop and die from sepsis more often than the average person:
- Older people
- People who are immunocompromised (their immune system is weak - for example, because of chemotherapy)
- People with severe illnesses
About 1% to 2% of people who are hospitalized develop sepsis. However, people with sepsis take up almost 25% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. It is a major cause of death in intensive care units worldwide, with mortality rates that range from:
- 20% for sepsis
- 40% for severe sepsis
- Over 60% for septic shock
Sepsis can be severe or even cause septic shock. With severe sepsis, one or more organs fail to work. In septic shock, a person has sepsis and a very low blood pressure.
Today, the bacterial forms of sepsis can be treated with antibiotics. Transfusions of un-infected blood may help. A person whose organs failed might need organ transplants.
It is extremely important for sepsis treatment to begin as quickly as possible. If it is not treated, the chances of death increase by 5% to 10% every hour.
About half of people who get sepsis, but do not get treatment, die from the condition. In most cases, quick treatment increases a person's chance of survival.
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