Sepsis is the immune system’s extreme response, or overreaction, to an infection. This condition causes the immune system to target healthy tissue and cells, resulting in serious and potentially deadly side effects.
In the United States alone, there are 1.7 million people hospitalized due to sepsis each year, with more than 350,000 deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 48.9 million cases of sepsis globally yearly, which leads to over 11 million deaths.
Common Causes and Risk Factors
Sepsis can be caused by any type of infection, such as lung, urinary tract, skin, or gut.
When someone has an infection, their immune system sends antibodies to fight off harmful germs, which prevents it from spreading.
However, when sepsis develops, the body overreacts to the infection and attacks healthy cells and tissue. This causes extreme inflammation throughout the body that can lead to organ damage among other complications.
Anyone who has, or recently had, an infection could potentially develop sepsis. However, individuals with certain risk factors are more likely to fall ill from it.
The most vulnerable populations include:
- Individuals over the age of 65.
- Pregnant, or recently pregnant women.
- Babies younger than 1 year old.
- Individuals with autoimmune disorders.
- Individuals with chronic diseases (diabetes, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, etc.).
- Individuals who had sepsis in the past.
The Stages of Sepsis
Sepsis is a fast-progressing condition that can turn fatal in only 12-24 hours. So, early detection and treatment are crucial for recovery.
To fully grasp how this condition progresses into more severe forms, it is important to know the 3 stages.
The stages of sepsis are:
- Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). This initial stage occurs when antibodies are sent to fight off an infection, but the immune system overreacts, causing widespread inflammation. With timely diagnosis and treatment, the mortality rate is only 1.3%.
- Severe sepsis. Once SIRS progresses to severe sepsis, vital organs start to malfunction due to inflammation throughout the body. The kidneys are often the first major organ to fail. Prompt treatment is crucial to slow the progression, but the mortality rate increases to 9.2% at this stage.
- Septic shock. Septic shock is the final and most deadly stage of sepsis. During septic shock, major organs like the brain, kidneys, liver, and heart fail, causing irreversible damage. Despite treatment 30-40% of patients do not survive this stage. Those who do survive septic shock often have long-term complications like brain damage, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure.
The 6 Signs of Sepsis
Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose, so it’s important to go to the doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Extreme confusion
- Shortness of breath
- High heart rate
- Fever
- Extreme pain or discomfort
- Clammy or bluish skin
Extreme Confusion
Sepsis patients often become extremely disoriented, have trouble speaking, and have trouble remembering facts or people
This occurs because sepsis reduces blood flow to the brain due to decreased cardiac output. In simple terms, this means the heart isn’t pumping enough blood to the brain, leading to confusion.
Shortness of Breath
Sepsis can cause blood vessels to leak, as a result of the immune system’s intense reaction to infection. When blood vessels in the lungs leak fluid, it becomes difficult for sepsis patients to breathe.
Fluid accumulation in the lungs can also lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a condition where fluid builds up in the lungs’ air sacs. This deprives the major organs of oxygen needed to stay alive and work properly.
High Heart Rate
A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges between 60-100 beats per minute (BPM). A heart rate over 100 BPM could be concerning for someone with a known infection and a fever.
Infants and babies generally have a higher resting heart rate, with 70-190 BPM for newborns and 80-160 BPM for infants 1-11 months old. Anything over 190 BPM for newborns and 160 BPM for infants is considered high.
Sepsis patients often have a high heart rate because the immune system’s overreaction causes less blood flow to organs like the kidney and brain. So, the heart overcompensates and tries to keep the vital organs alive by trying to pump more blood to those organs, leading to an increased heart rate.
Fever
For adults, a normal body temperature ranges from 97 to 99°F. Anything over 100.4°F is considered to be a fever. For babies and children, anything over 100-102°F may be a cause for concern.
Fevers indicate that the immune system is trying to fight off an infection. When the body detects an infection, it produces chemicals that raise the body temperature.
Extreme Pain
Inflammation indicates that the body is healing from an infection. However, sepsis triggers widespread inflammation throughout the body, resulting in extreme pain or discomfort. This differs greatly from normal pain from inflammation.
Normally, pain from inflammation is confined to the infected area and is usually mild, not causing any extreme discomfort.
Clammy or Bluish Skin
Sepsis reduces blood and oxygen flow to vital organs and tissue, which can cause the individual’s skin to look bluish or gray. This is due to a lack of oxygen.
During the later stages of sepsis, blood is diverted from the skin to try and keep major organs alive, which may make the individual’s skin feel cool, clammy, or sweaty to the touch.
How We Can Help
If you or a loved one suffered severe injuries from sepsis due to medical malpractice, then you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Keep in mind that just because you or your loved one developed sepsis does not automatically mean you have a case. However, there are certain instances where you may be able to sue for sepsis.
5 reasons you may be able to file a sepsis lawsuit include:
- Failure to timely diagnose.
- Misdiagnosis.
- Failure to perform tests.
- Unsanitary conditions.
- Sepsis is nursing homes.
At The Mellino Law Firm, we have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. Our team is here to guide you and your family through every step of the legal process.
Call our Cleveland office at (440) 333-3800 or complete our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.