What is Sepsis?

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection causes widespread inflammation which may lead to organ dysfunction. In the UK, sepsis is defined as a syndrome of infection-induced systemic inflammation which can progress to organ failure.

What are signs or symptoms of sepsis?

• Fever or hypothermia
• Increased heart rate
• Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
• Altered mental status
• Decreased urine output
• Hypotension
• Skin changes
• Increased lactate levels
• Presence of infection

What is the impact of sepsis on patient outcomes?

Sepsis can have a significant impact on patient outcomes as it is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates; here are some key impacts of sepsis on patient outcomes:

1. Mortality: sepsis is a leading cause of death worldwide; the mortality rate of sepsis can vary depending on various factors, including the patients’ age, overall health, the presence of underlying conditions and the timeliness and effectiveness of treatment.
2. Organ dysfunction and failure: sepsis can lead to dysfunction or failure of multiple organs, such as lungs, liver, kidneys, heart and brain; this can occur due to the body’s inflammatory response triggered by the infection.
3. Long-term complications: survivors of sepsis may experience long-term physical, cognitive and psychological complications; physical complications may include muscle weakness, fatigue, joint pain or impaired physical functioning; cognitive impairments may be memory loss and/ or difficulty concentrating.
4. Increased healthcare utilization: sepsis often requires hospitalization in intensive care units (ICUs) or higher dependency units (HDUs), which can be costly and resource intensive.

What are the underlying mechanisms and progression of sepsis?

Sepsis is a complex syndrome that involves a dysregulated immune response to an infection. The underlying mechanisms and progression of sepsis may be summarized as below:

• Infection: sepsis begins with an infection, which can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or other pathogens; infection can originate from various sources such as the respiratory tract, urinary tract, skin or abdomen.
• Immune Response: in response to the infection, the immune system is activated to eliminate the invading pathogens; this immune response involves the release of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, which helps recruit the immune cells to the site of infection.
• Dysregulated Immune Response: in sepsis, the immune response becomes dysregulated, leading to an excessive and uncontrolled release of inflammatory mediators.
• Systematic Inflammation: the uncontrolled release of inflammatory mediators leads to systematic inflammation, which can affect multiple organ systems.
• Microcirculatory dysfunction: sepsis can also impair the microcirculation, which is the network of small blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the tissue.
• Progression to severe sepsis and septic shock: in some cases, sepsis can progress to severe sepsis or septic shock; severe sepsis is characterized by organ dysfunction, while septic shock involves severe hypotension that does not respond adequately to fluid resuscitation.
• Multi-organ failure: in severe cases of sepsis, multiple organs may fail due to the ongoing inflammation, microcirculatory dysfunction and tissue damage; the most commonly affected organs may include the lungs, kidneys, liver, brain and heart.

Just a note:

Doing an online SEPSIS Awareness Course with Train Healthcare, which takes approximately 1 hour to complete, will earn you 1 CPD Point. Once you have completed the course, you would receive a certificate thereof.