What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a serious condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection overreacts and begins to injure its own tissues and organs. As many as 245,000 people a year develop sepsis in the UK alone and for the vast majority the outlook is good.
Not all infections will cause a person to develop sepsis but almost any infection can. It is important that we are vigilant and recognise and treat sepsis as early as we can.
Who is at risk?
Everyone is potentially at risk of developing sepsis, but it is more likely in the following groups:
• Babies under 1 year old
• Adults over 75 and/or very frail
• Those with impaired immune systems due to illness or medication
• Pregnant women, those who have recently given birth or those who have recently had a termination of pregnancy.
Symptoms may include any of the following:
• Slurred speech or confusion
• Extreme shivering or muscle pain
• Passing no urine (in a day)
• Severe breathlessness
• It feels like you’re going to die
• Skin mottled or discoloured (The UK Sepsis Trust, 2021)
Sepsis results most commonly from a bacterial infection, but on occasions can be due to viral and fungal infections.
Infections leading to sepsis commonly result from:
• Chest infections (pneumonia)
• Urinary tract infections (UTI’s)
• Abdomen infections (appendicitis, gall bladder)
• Skin and soft tissue infections (cellulitis, wounds).
A full clinical assessment is carried out for those showing signs and symptoms of sepsis, including monitoring of vital signs and blood tests. If any of the results are abnormal, they will be discussed with you.
Prompt administration of antibiotics is the first treatment of sepsis. The sepsis pathway will be started which includes:
• Call for senior help, this may be a doctor or clinical practitioner
• Give oxygen if required
• Send a full set of blood tests
• Give intravenous (IV) antibiotics
• Give IV fluids
• Make a clear plan for ongoing monitoring In a rare number of cases patients may need to move to a critical care environment for special treatment.
Recovery
Your experience of sepsis may affect you physically and/or emotionally even after discharge from hospital. Recovery time varies from person to person. For some it may take a few weeks, others it may be longer. Recovery can be affected by factors including age, medical history, length of hospital stay and whether a critical care admission was required.
Common problems following sepsis may include:
| Physical | Psychological | Thinking/perception |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | Low mood/swings | Short term memory difficulties |
| Infections | Anxiety of being unwell | Lack of concentration |
| Trouble sleeping | Guilt | Speech problems |
| Joint pain | Flashbacks | Inability to perform tasks you previously found easy |
| Muscle weakness | Frustrated/isolated | |
| Hair loss | Relationship strain | |
| Dizziness | Loss of confidence | |
| Headache | Wondering "what if I hadn't survived" | |
| Breathlessness | ||
| Poor appetite |
It is important to take your time in getting back to work, study, or activities. You may need to discuss phased return to work/activities with your GP or occupational health team where appropriate to aid your recovery.
Most symptoms improve with time and appropriate adjustments to daily activities.
However, its advisable to speak to your GP if you are still experiencing the following issues more than a month after hospital discharge:
• Frequent anxiety interfering with your ability to face daily life
• Low mood/depression impacting upon your motivation, opinion of self or thoughts of the future
• Continued poor sleep, nightmares, or flashbacks
• Change in behaviour
• Difficulty carrying out previously ‘normal’ tasks, or looking after the home and family
• Reliance on unprescribed drugs or alcohol.
