What you should know
about Sepsis
What you should know
about Sepsis
WHEN DOES SEPSIS HAPPEN?
Sepsis develops in a person with an infection. It is the most severe complication of infection. Infected wounds are not the most common cause of sepsis.
Sepsis can result from:
COULD IT BE SEPSIS?
The symptoms of sepsis are non-specific at the start and hardly different from normal flu.
It could be sepsis if at least one of the following signs of illness are present:
If you notice an infection and at least one sepsis symptom, always call 112!
Ask the doctor or person answering your call: “Could it be sepsis?”
Be persistent – don’t let them “brush you off”!
TREATMENT OF SEPSIS
If the diagnosis of sepsis is confirmed in the hospital, the next step may be transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Treatment should start as soon as possible after diagnosis. Treatment involves these vital measures:
Other measures may be needed to find where the infection started and treat that area with surgery (to remove the local focus of infection).
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF SEPSIS
Around 75% of those who survive sepsis suffer long-term effects. They can be very different, and some only develop years later.
Some types of physical damage are common but not immediately obvious, while others are plainly visible. There may also be psychological and social effects.
PREVENTING SEPSIS
Sepsis and its long-term effects are often preventable through prevention of infections, early detection and treatment as an emergency!
What’s important:
Everything that protects against infections helps to prevent sepsis.
Important vaccinations:
Hand hygiene helps prevent infection: