Sepsis Health Article

Definition

Sepsis is a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria.

Alternative Names

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Sepsis is caused by a bacterial infection that can begin anywhere in the body. Common places where an infection might start include:

• The bowel (usually seen with peritonitis)
• The kidneys (upper urinary tract infection)
  • The liver or the gall bladder
• The lungs (bacterial pneumonia)
• The skin (cellulitis)

Sepsis may also accompany meningitis. In children, sepsis may accompany infection of the bone (osteomyelitis). In hospitalized patients, common sites of infection include intravenous lines, surgical wounds, surgical drains, and sites of skin breakdown known as bedsores (decubitus ulcers).

The infection is often confirmed by a blood test. But, a blood test may not reveal infection in people who have been receiving antibiotics.

In sepsis, blood pressure drops, resulting in shock. Major organs and systems, including the kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system, stop functioning normally.

A change in mental status and hyperventilation may be the earliest signs of sepsis coming on.

Sepsis is often life-threatening, especially in people with a weakened immune system or with other illness.

Symptoms

• Chills
• Confusion or delirium
• Decreased urine output
• Fever or low body temperature (hypothermia)
• Hyperventilation
• Lightheadedness
• Rapid heart beat
• Shaking
• Skin rash
• Warm skin

Signs and tests

The following may indicate sepsis:

• Blood culture that reveals bacteria
• Blood gases that reveal acidosis
• Kidney function tests that are abnormal (early in the course of disease)
• Platelet count that is lower than normal
• White blood cell count that is lower or higher than normal

This disease may also change the normal results of the following tests:

• Blood differential -- showing immature white blood cells
• Fibrin degradation products -- often higher than normal, a condition that may be associated with a tendency to bleed
• Peripheral smear -- may show a low platelet count and destruction of red blood cells