Today is World Sepsis Day, a global event which seeks to spread awareness about the deadly health complication.
Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the UK, with as many as five people dying of the condition every hour, according to the UK Sepsis Trust.
The condition can be treated if caught early enough, which is why it's important to be able to identify warning signs right away.
Michael Carson, a Senior Litigation Executive at Patient Claim Line , a leading UK medical negligence law firm, has shared advice on the red flag symptoms of sepsis.
What causes sepsis?
Michael Carson said: "Sepsis is not a disease, or something you can ‘catch’. It comes about from the body's response to an infection, and the response starts to damage the tissues and organs of the body.
"This is a very serious and life-threatening issue, as it can cause organs to function poorly and abnormally, leading them to fail."
Sepsis can be triggered when our immune system reacts to a spreading infection. According to Scotland's NHS Inform, the most common sites of infection that lead to sepsis are the:
- lungs
- urinary tract
- tummy (abdomen)
- pelvis
Sepsis symptoms
The UK Sepsis Trust have shared a guide on how to spot the condition in adults. The easy-to-remember guide spells out SEPSIS and is as follows:
- S lurred speech or confusion
- E xtreme shivering or muscle pain
- P assing no urine (in a day)
- S evere breathlessness
- I t feels like you’re going to die
- S kin mottled or discoloured
Carson adds: "For adults, red flag symptoms can be someone in a confused state, possibly with slurred speech. They may be shivering and feel cold, but have a temperature and clammy, sweating skin. Heart rate can be raised, and blood pressure will be lower than normal. They may also have shortness of breath.
"For very young children or babies, it might be a child that is sleepier than normal, or difficult to wake. When awake, they may not eat or play as usual. They may also have shortness of breath, so they grunt when breathing, or breathe very fast.
"Urgent treatment is needed as sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in the UK."
If you or your child is experiencing these symptoms, you should go to A&E or call 999 right away.
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