May 31, 2018 | An infection occurs when germs enter a person’s body and multiply, causing illness, organ and tissue damage, or disease. If that infection isn’t stopped, it can cause a life-threatening condition called sepsis. Sepsis is caused by an overwhelming immune response to infection. The body releases immune chemicals into the blood to combat the infection. Those chemicals trigger widespread inflammation, which leads to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. As a result, blood flow is impaired, and that deprives organs of nutrients and oxygen and leads to organ damage. In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs, including the lungs, kidneys and liver, may quickly fail, and the patient can die. Once known as “blood poisoning,” sepsis, even with early treatment, kills about 1 in 5 affected people.

May 31, 2018 | According to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, severe sepsis strikes more than a million Americans every year, and 15 to 30 percent of those cases will prove fatal. Those that survive may have lasting problems, including permanent organ damage and thinking difficulties, such as problems with planning, organizing and multitasking. The people at highest risk are infants, children, the elderly and people who have serious injuries or medical problems such as diabetes, AIDS, cancer or liver disease. The number of sepsis cases in the U.S. has been on the rise in recent years due to increased awareness of the problem as well as the rise in antibiotic-resistant infections. Medical advances have made organ transplant operations more common. People are at higher risk for sepsis if they have had an organ transplant or have undergone any other procedure that requires the use of medications to suppress the immune system.

May 31, 2018 | Sepsis, the human body’s extreme response to an infection, can rapidly cause tissue damage, organ failure and even death. For this reason, it’s important to recognize the symptoms of the condition and to take action quickly if you or someone you know displays these signs. The most common symptoms are fever, chills, rapid breathing or heart rate, rash, confusion and disorientation. Many of these symptoms are also common in other conditions, making sepsis difficult to diagnose, especially in its early stages. After eliminating other possible causes for these symptoms, a physician will likely test the person’s blood for an abnormal number of white blood cells or the presence of bacteria or other infectious agents. Remember, sepsis is a medical emergency so time matters. If you or a loved one suspects sepsis or has an infection that’s not getting better or is getting worse, ask your health-care provider, “Could this infection be leading to sepsis?”

May 31, 2018 | Severe cases of sepsis often result from a body-wide infection that spreads through the bloodstream. Invasive medical procedures such as inserting a tube into a vein can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream and bring on the condition. But sepsis can also come from an infection confined to one part of the body, such as the lungs, urinary tract, skin, or abdomen. Treatment for sepsis is most successful if the condition is spotted early and then treated quickly with antibiotics to fight the infection and fluids to maintain blood pressure. Doctors typically treat people with sepsis in hospital intensive care units where they can try to stop the infection and protect the patient’s vital organs. More seriously affected patients might need a breathing tube, dialysis or surgery to remove tissue damaged by an infection. Despite years of research, scientists have not yet developed a medication that specifically targets the aggressive immune response seen with sepsis.

May 31, 2018 | Many people who survive severe sepsis recover completely, and their lives return to normal. But some people, especially those with pre-existing chronic diseases, may have permanent organ damage. For example, in someone who already has impaired kidneys, sepsis can lead to kidney failure that requires lifelong dialysis. There is also some evidence that severe sepsis disrupts a person’s immune system, making him or her more at risk for future infections. Studies have shown that people who have experienced sepsis have a higher risk of various medical conditions and death, even several years after the episode. Clinical trials are currently being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of potential treatments. Others seek molecular clues in patients’ blood that could diagnose sepsis early. Still others examine sepsis in specific populations, such as premature babies, people with traumatic injuries or long-term survivors.