Sepsis

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• 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

Seek urgent medical attention if you or another adult has any of these signs (A&E or 999).

Call 111 or contact your GP if you are worried about an infection or potential infection. 

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs.

It occurs when the body’s immune system – which normally helps to protect us and fight infection – goes into overdrive. It can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and sometimes death, especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.

Sepsis is indiscriminate: while it primarily affects very young children and older adults, and is also more common in people with underlying health conditions, it can sometimes be triggered in those who are otherwise fit and healthy.

Sepsis always starts with an infection, and can be triggered by any infection including chest infections and UTIs. It is not known why some people develop sepsis in response to these common infections whereas others don’t.

Sepsis is a condition caused by your body’s immune system responding abnormally to an infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. The infection can start anywhere in your body; it may be only in one part, or it may be widespread.

Your immune system usually works to fight any germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi), or to prevent infection. However, for reasons we don’t fully understand, sometimes the immune system goes into overdrive and starts to attack our organs and other tissues. It can happen as a response to any injury or infection, anywhere in the body. It can result from:

• a chest infection causing pneumonia
• a urine infection in the bladder
• a problem in the abdomen, such as a burst ulcer or a hole in the bowel
• an infected cut or bite
• a wound from trauma or surgery
• a leg ulcer or cellulitis

Sepsis can be caused by a huge variety of different germs, like streptococcus, e-coli, MRSA or C diff. Most cases are caused by common bacteria, which normally don’t make us ill.

We still don’t know why some people who get an infection develop sepsis and others don’t. People are more likely to develop sepsis after a viral illness like a cold, or a minor injury. But it can affect anyone, regardless of age or state of health. However, some people are more likely to get sepsis, including those who:

• are very young or very old
• are diabetic
• are on long-term steroids or on drugs to treat cancer or other conditions
• have had an organ transplant and are on anti-rejection drugs
• are malnourished (your body hasn’t had enough food)
• have serious liver disease
• have a serious illness which affects your immune system (the way your body protects itself from infection), such as leukaemia
• have an infection or a complication after an operation
• are pregnant or have just given birth

Frequently people feel very tired, sometimes weak, you may have lost weight, you may find it difficult to do things that you were easily able to do before you had sepsis. 

The UK Sepsis Trust is available to support you – whether you’re a survivor, patient, relative or employer. Please download the booklets available here for some help and advice. 

You can also contact the UK Sepsis Trust freephone helpline on 0808 800 0029

Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK and do not appear on itemised bills. Support nurse availability is normally Monday to Friday between the hours of 9.30am and 4.30pm (please note, they are closed on bank holidays).