Sepsis is an illness in which the body has a severe, inflammatory response to bacteria or other germs.
The symptoms of sepsis are not caused by the germs themselves. Instead, chemicals the body releases cause the response.
A bacterial infection anywhere in the body may set off the response that leads to sepsis. Common places where an infection might start include the:
Bloodstream
Bones (common in children)
Bowel (usually seen with
)
Kidneys (upper
, pyelonephritis or urosepsis)
Lining of the brain (
)
Liver or gallbladder
Lungs (
)
Skin (
)
For people in or recently discharged from the hospital, common sites of infection include
lines, surgical wounds, surgical drains, and sites of skin breakdown, known as bedsores or
.
Sepsis most commonly affects infants or older adults.
In a person with sepsis, the blood pressure drops, resulting in
(the inability to provide necessary blood perfusion to all of the organs in the body). Major organs and body systems, including the kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system may stop working properly because of poor blood flow.
A
and very fast breathing may be the earliest signs of sepsis.
In general, symptoms of sepsis can include:
Chills
or
Fever or low body temperature (
)
Lightheadedness due to low blood pressure
or
Warm skin
A person with sepsis will be admitted to a hospital, usually in the intensive care unit (ICU). Antibiotics are usually given through a vein (intravenously) and need to be given as quickly as possible.
Other medical treatments include:
Oxygen to help with breathing
Fluids given through a vein
Medicines that increase blood pressure
if there is kidney failure
A breathing machine (
) if there is lung failure
Sepsis is often life threatening, especially in people with a weak immune system or a long-term (
) illness.
Damage caused by a decrease in blood flow to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys may take time to improve. There may be long-term problems with these organs.
The risk of sepsis can be reduced by getting all recommended vaccines.
In the hospital, careful hand washing can help prevent hospital-acquired infections that lead to sepsis. Prompt removal of urinary catheters and IV lines when they are no longer needed can also help prevent infections that lead to sepsis.
Septicemia; Sepsis syndrome; Systemic inflammatory response syndrome; SIRS; Septic shock
Gordon AC, Russell JA. Shock syndromes related to sepsis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 94.
Shapiro NI, Jones AE. Sepsis syndrome. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 127.
van der Poll T, Wiersinga WJ. Sepsis and septic shock. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 73.
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.