Sepsis: What to know about the 'preventable' disease killing young people

48,000 people living in the UK die each year from sepsis, a highly preventable condition. In fact the NHS estimates that 10,000 of these deaths should not have happened if the condition had been spotted and treated early. One third of hospital deaths are believed to have been as a result of this condition. In this article, we look at the characteristics and causes of this dangerous condition.

What is sepsis?

Sometimes referred to as blood poisoning, sepsis occurs when your immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs, the NHS says on its website. This condition which affects 250,000 people in the UK each year, is life-threatening but cannot be transmitted from one person to the other, although some infections caused by sepsis could be passed on between people.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains the condition as:

When germs get into a person’s body, they can cause an infection. If you don’t stop that infection, it can cause sepsis. Bacterial infections cause most cases of sepsis.

Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. If not detected and treated early, it can quickly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

Signs and symptoms

There are many possible symptoms to look out for. A likely reason why this condition is not easily spotted is its similarity with other conditions like flu or chest infection. But according to the CDC, these signs show that you might have it:

• Change in mental status: Confusion or disorientation
• High heart rate or weak pulse
• Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Clammy or sweaty skin

The majority of sepsis cases occur in people who are hospitalized or who have recently been hospitalized. People in an intensive care unit are more likely to develop infections that can then lead to sepsis, especially if they are 65 years or older, children below one-year and those with weak immune systems.

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