27 February 2019

In the UK alone sepsis kills five people every hour, affects 25,000 children each year and leaves a quarter of all sepsis survivors with permanent, life-changing after-effects.

Sepsis (also known as blood poisoning) is an immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury.

Normally our immune system fights infection but sometimes, for reasons we don’t yet understand, it attacks our body’s own organs and tissues. If not treated immediately, sepsis can result in organ failure and death.

But it doesn't have to. If caught early, sepsis is easily treatable. That’s why we should all learn the signs.

So what are the signs? Sepsis can initially look like flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection. There is no one sign, and symptoms present differently between adults and children. But here are some of the most common signs to look out for.

In adults signs of sepsis can be:                                                         

  • 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 

Whereas a child may have sepsis if he or she:

  • Is breathing very fast
  • Has a ‘fit’ or convulsion
  • Looks mottled, bluish or pale
  • Has a rash that does not fade when you press it
  • Is very lethargic or difficult to wake
  • Feels abnormally cold to touch

For children under five years old, signs of sepsis can be not feeding; vomiting repeatedly or not passing urine for 12 hours.

The more people who know about the signs of sepsis and seek medical help in a timely manner, the greater chance there is early diagnosis and treatment. This helps to limit the damage sepsis can cause thus improving the chance of survival as well as reducing the likelihood of permanent after-effects and giving more survivors a better quality of life.

If you, or a loved one, develop signs of sepsis seek medical help urgently by dialing 999.

You can find more information about sepsis on: