For most of us, it’s scary to think about staying in the hospital. Certainly, no one goes to the hospital expecting to get sicker, but unfortunately it happens. Did you know that sepsis is a common cause of serious harm to hospitalized patients? Although over 40% of US adults have never heard of sepsis, it is the leading cause of death in US hospitals. What is sepsis? How do you get it? And why is sepsis dangerous?
The what, how and why of sepsis.
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a dangerous, life-threatening medical condition caused by the body’s extreme response to an infection. In short, sepsis is blood poisoning caused by bacteria. Sepsis can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, amputations, and death. Septic shock, the most severe, version of sepsis, occurs when a body-wide infection leads to dangerously low blood pressure.
How common is sepsis?
Unfortunately, sepsis is dangerous and common, and can even be deadly. According to the NIH, more than 1.7 million people Americans develop sepsis each year. Moreover, almost 270,000 people die every year from sepsis in the US. Shockingly, about 1/3 of patients who die in the hospital have sepsis.
A 2020 report from the World Health Organization estimates that sepsis causes 20% of deaths worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the report states sepsis disproportionately affects those living in low- and middle-income countries.
However, the report also finds that children are disproportionately impacted. Importantly, the report states the limited availability of data from low- and middle-income countries means the true number of cases and deaths is unknown.
How does sepsis develop?
Many types of microbes can cause sepsis, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. However, bacteria are the most common cause. Additionally, antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to sepsis. In many cases, doctors cannot identify the source of infection.
When a person has an infection, their body releases immune chemicals into the blood to combat the infection. When this response is overactive, the chemicals can cause widespread inflammation, leading to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. The restricted blood flow deprives organs of nutrients and oxygen and leads to organ damage.
No matter the cause, sepsis is a tricky one – it occurs unpredictably and can progress rapidly.
Why is sepsis dangerous?
In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, the patient’s blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs—lungs, kidneys, liver—may quickly fail, and the patient can die.
How dangerous is sepsis?
Very dangerous!
A 2020 report of an analysis of Medicare patients found that 10% of patients with non-severe forms of sepsis died while in the hospital or within a week of discharge. Moreover, 60% with non-severe forms of sepsis died within three years.
In comparison, patients with septic shock fared significantly worse. In fact, 40% of those with septic shock died while in the hospital or within a week of being discharged, and 75% died within three years.
Additionally, patients with other chronic health conditions, have a higher risk of sepsis and an increased risk of sepsis-related death.
Sepsis can also impact your health in the future.
Researchers analyzed data for more than 2.2 million US patients who were hospitalized for at least 2nights for nonsurgical reasons between 2009 – 2019. Alarmingly, in the period after hospitalization (a span of up to 12 years), people who had sepsis in the hospital had a 27% higher risk of death and were 38% more likely to return to the hospital for any cause, as compared to those who did not have sepsis.
Furthermore, those who had sepsis were 43% more likely to be readmitted for a cardiovascular problem, such as stroke, heart attack, irregular heartbeat or heart failure (the number 1 reason for rehospitalization).
According to the lead study author, the findings “indicate that after hospitalization with sepsis, close follow-up care is important, and it may be valuable to implement cardiovascular prevention therapies with close supervision.”
Based on these findings, if you (or a loved one) had sepsis while hospitalized, I suggest you seek regular follow-up care with a cardiologist or other heart specialist.
How do patients develop sepsis?
Sepsis can develop from an infection in one part of the body, such as the lungs, urinary tract, skin, or abdomen, including the appendix. Additionally, invasive medical procedures, such as inserting a tube into a vein, can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream and lead to sepsis.
Who can get sepsis?
Although anyone can get sepsis, some patients have a higher risk, including people who:
- Are over 75 years old.
- Have diabetes.
- Live with a weakened immune system, such as those undergoing chemotherapy. treatment or who recently had an organ transplant.
- Have a genetic disorder that affects their immune system, such as people with Down’s syndrome or sickle cell disease.
- Recently had surgery or a serious illness.
Additionally, others with a higher risk include:
- women who have just given birth, had a miscarriage or had an abortion.
- Babies under 1, particularly if they’re born early or their mother had an infection while pregnant.
Where do patients contract sepsis?
Although people can develop sepsis at any point in their healthcare journey, research shows the majority of sepsis cases originate in the community, not in the hospital.
For instance, a review of sepsis cases at the University of Kansas Medical Center found that 60% of sepsis patients came through the emergency department, 15% were transferred in from other places and only 25% developed while the patient was in the hospital.
Another study, published in 2020, found that most patients with sepsis or septic shock experienced their onset outside of the hospital, but had recently received health care. Additionally, 42% of septic patients received antimicrobial drugs, chemotherapy, wound care, dialysis, or surgery in the 30 days before their sepsis occurred.
Symptoms.
Since many of these symptoms are also common in other conditions, sepsis can be hard to diagnose, especially in its early stages. For example, early signs can appear similar to a urinary tract infection or the flu.
Symptoms of sepsis
Symptoms of sepsis are not specific and can vary from person to person. Additionally, children may experience different symptoms than adults. Sepsis symptoms can include:
- Change in mental status.
- Fast, shallow breathing.
- Sweating for no clear reason.
- Feeling lightheaded.
- Shivering.
- Symptoms specific to the type of infection, such as painful urination from a urinary tract infection or worsening cough from pneumonia.
Symptoms of septic shock
Sometimes sepsis progresses to septic shock which is characterized by a severe drop in blood pressure. Progression to septic shock increases the risk of death.
Symptoms of septic shock include:
- Not being able to stand up.
- Strong sleepiness or hard time staying awake.
- Major change in mental status, such as extreme confusion.
Diagnosing sepsis.
In addition to checking for the above mentioned symptoms, doctors often order several tests to try to pinpoint underlying infection, including:
Blood tests to look for:
- Evidence of infection.
- Blood-clotting problems.
- Abnormal liver or kidney function.
- Lower levels of oxygen than the body needs.
- Electrolyte imbalances.
Other lab tests to look for the source of the infection might include samples of:
- Urine.
- Liquid from the wound.
- Mucus and saliva from the respiratory tract.
Additionally, doctors may order the following imaging tests if needed:
- X-ray.
- Ultrasound.
- Computerized tomography (CT).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Early, thorough treatment increases the chance of recovery. Importantly, people with sepsis need close monitoring and treatment in a hospital intensive care unit because people with sepsis may need lifesaving measures to stabilize breathing and heart action.
Doctors may use different medications, including IV fluids, antibiotics, and vasopressors to narrow blood vessels and help increase blood pressure. Additionally, doctors may use insulin for blood sugar levels, or painkillers.
Importantly, patients often need supportive care that can include oxygen or a ventilator to help with breathing. And a patient may need dialysis if kidney issues arise.
Lastly, in some cases, doctors may need to operate to remove sources of infection, such as pus, infected tissues or dead tissues.
A serious warning about medication for sepsis.
Researchers reviewed the cases of over 7,500 hospitalized adults with suspected sepsis. The study, published in 2024, found giving patients a combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam was associated with increased mortality risk compared to patients who received a combination of vancomycin and cefepime.
Importantly, the authors state their findings suggest that doctors should not give piperacillin-tazobactam to patients with sepsis who do not have anaerobic bacterial infections.
I realize these terms are hard-to-pronounce and understand. However, the important thing to note is that if you or your loved one develop sepsis, ask the doctor if they can prescribe something other than piperacillin-tazobactam.
Time is of the essence.
Time is the enemy. As every hour passes without treatment, the prognosis worsens significantly. In fact, research shows that death rates increase by 4-9% for every hour that treatment is delayed.
Interestingly, a recent study found that identifying the source of the sepsis infection and implementing source control measures within 6 hours resulted in a 29% reduction in 90-day mortality rates.
Furthermore, studies show that rapid diagnosis and treatment could prevent as many as 80% of sepsis deaths.
Are there long-term effects of sepsis?
Unfortunately, up to 50% of sepsis survivors experience post-sepsis syndrome (PSS), a serious condition can affect sepsis survivors of any age, including children. Research shows that many sepsis survivors experience new or worsened physical, cognitive, and psychological problems for months to years after hospital discharge, whether they were treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) or in a general ward or unit.
PSS cause long-term physical and/or psychological symptoms.
Physical difficulties due to PSS include:
- Difficulty sleeping, either difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep.
- Fatigue and lethargy.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Disabling muscle or joint pain.
- Swollen limbs
- Repeat infections, particularly in the first few weeks and months following the initial bout of sepsis.
- Poor appetite.
- Reduced organ function, such as issues with the kidney, liver, and/or heart
- Hair loss.
- Skin rash.
Psychological or emotional issues due to PSS can include:
- Hallucinations.
- Panic attacks.
- Flashbacks.
- Nightmares.
- Decreased cognitive (mental) functioning.
- Loss of self-esteem.
- Depression.
- Mood swings.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Memory loss.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What can you do to reduce your risk of sepsis and associated harm?
There are steps that patients and families can take to reduce their risk of exposure to germs that can lead to sepsis infections. Realize germs can be airborne or on objects, including on medical equipment.
Prevent infections.
Try to prevent infections by properly managing any chronic conditions and by getting all recommended vaccinations.
Choose the “right” hospital for surgery.
Not all hospitals provide the same level of monitoring to identify signs of sepsis after patients undergo surgery. Fortunately, you can look up your hospital, or hospitals in your area, on The Leapfrog Group’s website to see their score on post-surgical sepsis infections.
Practice good hygiene.
One of the most important actions for sepsis prevention is regular hand washing for at least 20 seconds. Not only should you frequently wash your own hands, you should make sure that anyone in a medical setting also washes their hands before they touch you or medical equipment that will touch your body.
Be sure to wash your hands in these circumstances, as recommended by Johns Hopkins Medicine:
Before you:
- Eat.
After you:
- Use the toilet.
- Blow your nose, sneeze and/or cough.
- Touch an animal, handle pet food/treats.
- Change a diaper.
- Help someone with toileting.
- Handle trash.
Before and after (and during as needed) you:
- Care for a sick person.
- Clean a wound or cut.
- Prepare food.
Additionally, make sure you keep all wounds clean and covered until they heal. And if you have a rash or infected area that is not getting better, or is getting worse, see your doctor! Better safe than sorry.
Avoid antibiotic overuse.
Lastly, antibiotic overuse contributes to these difficult infections, so practice safe antibiotic usage. For more information, read Are Antibiotics Helpful or Harmful? What You Need to Know.
Know the signs and symptoms of sepsis.
Watch out for the following signs of sepsis:
- High heart rate or low blood pressure.
- Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold.
- Confusion or disorientation.
- Shortness of breath.
- Extreme pain or discomfort.
- Clammy or sweaty skin.
Act fast if you suspect sepsis.
Sepsis is a medical emergency and you should act accordingly. If you or your loved one has any of the above signs, and/or has an infection that’s not getting better or is getting worse, get medical care immediately. And make sure you ask your healthcare professional if the infection could lead to sepsis.
Learn more about infection prevention.
Sepsis is dangerous. To learn more about reducing your risk of infections, including sepsis, read these posts:
- Germs in Hospitals and Doctor Offices – Watch Out!
- Protect Yourself from Superbugs.
- How To Protect Yourself from Hospital Infections.
- Handwashing in Healthcare Could Save Your Life!
- What’s Your Hospital’s Safety Record? Is Your Hospital Safe?
NOTE: I updated this post on 2-6-26.
My son became a quadriplegic in 2001. With quadriplegia, one develops a neurogenic bladder and has to have a urinary catheter, generally a suprapubic one. He was so driven to be as independent as possible, that he began changing his catheter himself, sometimes using a pair of pliers because he doesn’t have good dexterity in his hands. Of course, due to lack of sterile Technik, he got many bladder infections and several of those resulted in him becoming septic. As the result of the many septic infections, the high fevers have fried his brain, and he has now become severely mentally ill. He is verbally abusive, delusional and frequently psychotic. One thing this article doesn’t mention is that sepsis often presents with a subnormal temperature by conventual methods, one has to get a “core temperature” which is usually done rectally. This article mentions the long-term effects of sepsis on the heart and circulatory system; it doesn’t mention the horrible consequences it can have on the brain.
Debrah,
Firstly, I am so sorry to hear about your son! It sounds extremely stressful for all of you.
I appreciate your letting me know about the consequences on the brain – I will add some information to the post.
Take care,
Roberta
I felt ill on a Friday. Went to my Dr the next day had 102.5 fever, chills, clammy and low BP. I also have cirrhosis and have had heart valve replacement surgery in past. They sent me home with antibiotics. Next day I woke up with 103 fever, confused and could not walk straight. My wife took me to hospital which is 15 minutes away, checked in, by the time wheeled into a emergency room I did not know my name, birth date, or President name. Right to ICU, they put me in a sheet like cold pack, blood work every hour it seemed, scans I cant even say how many. First night they kept a nurse in room and gave me C-Pap mask to help me breathe – it was huge.
After 3 days and non stop fluid, they had to put me on breathing machine so could shut my organs down as they were working too hard, BP still low and told my wife to have my kids come home from college because didn’t think was gonna make it. My kidney numbers were off the chart because of all fluids I had gotten, my blood count was also low. The bacteria had or was already on my heart and piece broke off and went to brain and gave me a stroke. After a week on tube they took it out. Now I’m there 10 days already, continue blood work constantly, scans of brain, CT scans of heart. After almost 2 weeks my valve had gone to crap and needed to be replaced, so at 3 week mark of being in hospital, I had open heart surgery to replace valve. And to end, I spent over a month in hospital as well as month of antibiotics through picc line when got home 3x a day. Physical therapy at home as well as nurse once a week to change line. I had no long last effects from the stroke. Of course safe to say my wonderful Government has turned back on me and not approved temp. disability and I have filed an appeal.
I do have to say every single one of the drs, nurse, and entire staff I saw were unbelievable and there were many, they saved my life and I can never say thank you enough. I live in Jersey and the hospital is St.Barnabas in Livingston – it would have been unfair to them not to mention.
Bernie,
It sounds like a terrible ordeal! I am glad you are okay. It sounds like you got great medical care.
You don’t mention if you had sepsis, but either way, it was clearly a very difficult series of events.
Take care,
Roberta
I have has Sepsis twice. The first time I was 44 yrs old and got it from an infected surgical wound where my incompetent doctor had to take a blood clot out that he didn’t see was there after my stitches broke from having a hysterectomy. The second time, age 65, was October 2023, got Sepsis from possibly a needle in my back for pain management! The day after getting the shot I was in extreme pain radiating from my back to my front on my left side and called an ambulance because I couldn’t drive myself in that pain. I spent 10 days in the hospital with the doctors trying various antibiotics because none was working against the bacteria in my blood stream. Finally they found one that worked. Now I have left side heart failure and Pulmonary artery hypertension as well as kidney damage. I probably won’t get to see my grandchildren grow up. My family and friends think I should sue that doctor, but I just don’t have the energy to go through with it, as well as the stress it would put me under.
Hi,
I’m sorry that you’ve had sepsis twice! That’s terrible. I am very sorry to hear that your last case left you with ongoing, serious health problems. I hope your doctors can figure out how to successfully manage your health issues so you can see your grandchildren grow up. Good luck!
Roberta
Hello, I just spent 4 days in the hospital, apparently my sons noticed I wasn’t breathing right I was fighting for air and my body was dead weight, ambulance came here I had a fever of 104, any way get to this one hospital around 10 am was told some hours later they couldn’t admit me they had no rooms they were all full, I get transferred to another hospital where as soon as I arrived they went into action. They ran every test possible to confirm what I had, tested white blood cells which I was told were very, very low, did a heart scan was in good shape , did a lung scan looked great, breathing was not so good got oxygen, pulse was good, oxygen levels good, everything was in place turns out mind you I had sepsis , I got so scared I just had a cousin who died from that on my husbands side. Mind you today I feel a lot better a little weak but that’s to be expected. My medical team was Great! I never want that again have no idea how I got it but very thankful my medical team pulled me through. However I am so sorry to hear about the people who weren’t so lucky.
Alice,
I am glad you are okay! Thank you for sharing your story – I hope it will help others ask if they, or their loved one, could have sepsis.
Roberta
Good morning to you all, i want to share a little bit of my story. I am a mom of a 17 year old beautiful girl. Due to circumstances of life she got pregnant. Her pregnancy was very good and at the time of delivering, she was the toughest. The baby was born healthy but at some point after a couple of hours he passed away. Doctors diagnosed him dying of septic shock. Now, at this point in life, if only i should have known what i know now i would have made the medical staff examine the baby thoroughly, because his crying and his fever gave up that something was wrong. He was born on 10/16/22 and died after 9 hrs. Septic Shock is a very lethal sickness. We all need need to be very aware. RIP my baby angel Lyan. (\/)
Wendy,
I am so sorry for the tragic loss of your grandchild. Thank you for sharing your story – it might help others recognize the signs of sepsis and the importance of speaking up if something doesn’t seem right.
Roberta
Thank you for this important information. My son who is forty tonsils were swollen and we went to urgent care. He was given the wrong medication because he can’t take penicillin. He couldn’t breathe. Went back to the same urgent care and was given different antibiotics. After two days we thought he was getting better. He went to the emergency room at the hospital and found out he was septic. They had to drain his tonsils. He could have died.
I needed to no more about this disease.
Thank you
Dorothy,
I am glad your son is okay! That sounds like a very scary experience.
Best wishes for good health –
Roberta
I have had Sepsis twice. Once my intestines ruptured. Went into Septic shock stage one. Emergency operation at 52. Second time I had Septic knee and after they operated on my knee it spread in my blood stream. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks, and four months at home with a pick line IV. Mentally it puts you in a strange place. Time means nothing, dreaming feeling, comprehension is low, mentally slow. I was 59 then. Doctors told me both times I had a 50/50 chance, but pulled thru both times. Lucky guy!!
Jeff,
I’m glad you’re okay! That’s rough to get sepsis twice.
Take care,
Roberta
My friend Angelina just passed away from sepsis on 6/14/2022. May she Rest In Peace.
Tia,
I am so sorry for your loss.
Roberta
My 44 yr old cousin died Saturday Oct. 9th on his birthday of Sepsis. People need to know more about this deadly illness !
Theresa Ann,
I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your cousin.
Roberta
I took my husband to hospital with severe pain in stomach at 2 am that came out of nowhere.
ER Dr said he had extended bladder and filled him full of {painkillers} to see a urologist. It was at the start of covid and they did not want us at hospital. I kept asking if he had an infection. He was the toughest guy I know and fit as a fiddle. He told me to run red lights on the way to ER he was in so much pain. Sent home and could not get into urologist for 3 days. Did not feel good all next day as they said he would not. They took urine off and sent him home with catheter with instruction. Did not go over ER report and never saw Dr again after diagnosis.
He started vomiting at 5 am next morning and called back to ER said it was from the advil and to give ice chips…I decided to wait until his GP got to office and called him. Told me to get him back to ER. He was already sepsis 3 and his bowel had ruptured. It was right on scan but they just dismissed and sent home. He was airlifted to big center – they did surgery and then 12 hours later lost him to septic shock. Took 18 inches of dead intestine out of small bowel. Very preventable if they would of kept him. I don’t give a crap about covid as I want to know how many people died because they did not get good health care DURING covid and were sent home. My husband would not ever even go to ER unless he was dying…I blame myself for ever taking him home when my gut feeling told me he was really sick but they convinced me he was all right. Nurse was like a clinical robot…I will never forgive myself for not making them keep him. They finally gave me the lab and ER report to give to urologist when I was taking my poor dear husband home and trying to focus on him. Our family is heartbroken that they convinced me he was ok and I did not tell my only son 450 miles away that his dad was even at ER as his family had been very sick with covid in Denver and felt he had his plate full with that and we would see a urologist and then let him know the results. I have to live with my guilt for the rest of my life.
Linda,
I am so sorry about your loss. That is a very sad story. I hope you can forgive yourself – you did your best.
Linda- I know some time has passed since you wrote of the tragic loss of your husband. I am so very sorry for your loss. I am a nurse and have never said this to anyone but I hope you have sued the hospital for malpractice. And no, it’s not really about the money bc no amount of money will replace your husband. The point is that filing a malpractice suit will cause the hospital to change their protocols and may save many lives. So
I was reading this article because I was recently diagnosed as septic (all of my nursing experience was in the newborn nursery and then working in a clinic working with newly pregnant moms explaining nutrition. What is ok and not ok to do or take while pregnant, etc. So no patients with sepsis.
I graduated from nursing school in 1986 and all I remembered about sepsis is that it’s something I didn’t want. I am in kidney failure, waiting for a transplant.
After reading about sepsis, I’ve learned that people with serious kidney disease are more likely to develop sepsis – something neither my nephrologist or the transplant center warned me about. I had been feeling bad for about 10 days, had a fever a couple of nights, vomited a couple of times and just generally felt very lethargic, loss of appetite, and overall feeling rotten.
We were on our way to a routine cardiology appointment two hours from home, I noticed that I was short of breath while getting ready but just pushing forward.
During the drive to the cardiologist, I started having severe chills and body trembles. I’ve had pneumonia several times and it has always started with the same type of chills so, along with the shortness of breath, I assumed that was what was happening. When we got to the cardiologist, we were an hour early (had allowed time for traffic and there wasn’t any) but went ahead inside because I was miserable. Once in the room, I had fever, oxygen saturation in the 80’s, blood pressure 70/40. When the doctor came in he told me that I had a very abnormal EKG, needed to go to the hospital and that I’d be admitted. It made more sense to us to drive the 2 hours home and go to the ER there. After reading this, I am shocked the cardiologist so readily agreed to let us do that. Had he told me that I needed to be assessed for sepsis, I would have readily agreed. So, we drove back home and went straight to the ER. They did an EKG that was still abnormal, my oxygen saturation levels were up to the low 90’s, BP still very low, heartbeat 140. My WBC was 22,000 and a CT of the chest showed pneumonia in all three lobes of one lung. I was started on 3 IV antibiotic and an oral antibiotic and was admitted to the cardiac floor. After 5 days I was discharged. I’ve been home for almost 3 weeks and feel almost the same as I did the day I came home. That’s why I decided I needed to read up on sepsis and recovery. I had no idea that sepsis can start gradually with vague symptoms and had no idea how long it might take to feel better. They’ve taken me off of the transplant list until I can cleared by the cardiologist and the transpant center in about a month.
This is something that more people need to be aware of. Thank goodness I am familiar with the symptoms now and will recognize them if the come back. Blessings to all. ❤️
Holly,
I am sorry to hear of everything you have been through. It sounds terrible! I’m glad the first doctor thought you might be sepsis, but you probably should have been admitted immediately (I’m not a doctor, so this is just my layperson’s opinion).
It sounds like you have a long road ahead of you – to recover from the sepsis and get your transplant. Best of luck with all of it – I hope your future is easier than your recent past!
Roberta
Holly, if you see my post, I am responding to your response to Linda, would you kindly reach out to me? My elderly loved one passed away in December this year. I could use some guidance. Over the course of 4+ years, there had been a lot of pain due to gangrene, and other diagnosis from non-healing necrotic wounds resulting in amputation. Sepsis had been a recurring problem (even thrush and a lump in the breast developed as well but also Stage IV Sacral Wound which developed over the course of over a year. In the last quarter of the year, they never referred to it as sepsis. though symptoms were Tacky…, concerning low blood, she was given oxygen and blood transfusion by IV. Except when they discharged her AMA, they never gave me any instructions for home care until the next appointment and beyond. It seems as if it boils down to more fluid because she was still following a Bolus feed with a G-Tube, she was also malnurished Anemia and all the time some hospitals had her, they did not focus on treating everything that was going on, only routine Wound care that wasn’t working due to feces getting into the wound bed every day wth diarhea like bowl movements. Thank you.
This sounds so much like my beautiful granddaughter. She had a lot of medical disabilities, about a year ago she developed sepsis, from then on it was in the hospital, out of the hospital, back and forth, she developed cirrhosis of liver (medicine induced). Ammonia levels always up and down, sepsis was never mentioned. She developed epilepsy. 2 months ago she complained of a stomach ache, shortly after throwing up and heavy breathing, EMS did CPR, breaking her breast bone. Septic shock set in and in less than a few hours she was gone. Cause of death was heart failure and SEPSIS!! Almost like a cancer that can’t be stopped. If only ER drs. would read those charts and not guess. I too have that guilt for the rest of my life.
Bertha,
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you can let go of some of your guilt – I am sure you did the best you could given the circumstances. May her memory be a blessing to you and your family.
Roberta
I’ve had recent gallbladder surgery and I have developed fibromyalgia like symptoms where my wrists joints are swollen and hurting and I am having a am hard time gripping with my hands. Chest is heavy and i keep having little shooting pains in my heart. Could this be a sign of an infection
Joann,
I am sorry to hear that you are having these symptoms. And I am sorry for my delayed response! I am not a medical professional – I hope you checked in with your doctor to share your concerns.
Roberta
My husband went into seizures on June 1st of this year. He was put in the ICU because he wasn’t coming out of them. On June 5th the hospital called me at 5am for approval of putting him on on a ventilator. They talked about Sepsis but never seemed to confirm that is what he had. Other than {giving him} lots of antibiotics. Blood Pressure dropping, Fevers etc. He was able to be taken off the ventilator after two days and they highly suggested he go to a Rehabilitation Hospital for two weeks. He did have other health issues such as Cancer that was supposed to be in remission. After two weeks he was released and sent home. To make a long story short, he ended back in the hospital and passed away on July 17th of Septic Shock. I had no idea what Sepsis was and how dangerous it really is. I had heard of Septic Shock but again not the details of it. Thank you for getting this information out.
Darlene,
So sorry for your loss. It sounds like you and your husband had a very difficult time. I hope your memories of your husband bring you some peace.
Take care,
Roberta
Lack of hygiene in nursing homes could cause this. Not changing the Depends the elderly wear is very bad. Be vigilant for your parent and keep after the staff to do their due diligence and wash their hands! They have to wash your parent’s hands too! My mother died April 25.2020 of enterococcus sepsis in a negligent nursing home. She was in good shape before New York State mandated lockdown. The staff abandoned her care and let her die. They will be made accountable.
Beth,
I am sorry about the loss of your mother. Thank you for sharing your sad, but important, experience.
Take care,
Roberta
I had two bouts of sepsis both happened right after dental work.. About a year after the second but, I had an infected tooth pulled. The dentist said that it was significantly infected and he was convinced that this infection caused my two sepsis attacks. After my second attack I developed liquid on the brain (normal pressure…) and have memory and balance issues. Are there any evaluation trials I can join?
Stephen,
I am so sorry to hear about your ongoing problems with sepsis! Although my work with Zaggo focuses on helping people become empowered members of their medical teams, I don’t have any specific information on clinical trials. However, I have a list of sites in our Resource Center where you can look for trials that might be right for you.
Good luck! I hope you find what you are looking for.
Roberta
Hello! Thank you so much for posting this article. It is VERY informative!!!
Dana –
I am glad you found it helpful!
Roberta
I had a left hip replacement at one hospital that my doctor chose and they gave me a flu shot. I was released 3 days later. 4 days later I woke up face down on my bed. My daughter and her husband stopped by to give me a cup of coffee. I was laying in vomit, and my breathing was more like a flutter, than normal breathing, Son-in-law called the rescue squad, I went to my hospital of my choice, which was very critical. Had flu and Pneumonia. I then had Sepsis, and Sepsis shock. My heart and lungs were shutting down. I responded to antibiotics and thankfully started getting better. Was in the hospital a week, but made a recovery. So thankful to still be here.
I’m sorry you had such a difficult time! I’m so glad you responded to treatment and have recovered. Thanks for sharing your story. Take care,
Roberta
Today marks one year to my husband went hospital for sepsis – he was given second life.
Thank you so much for posting. It is very needed information as I have a friend who had mile sepsis for well over a year and a half due to an untended kidney infection. This information is so valuable to so many people and needs to continue being put out. Most people know very little about Sepsis and the swelling part was also new to me. Very important information, thank you very very much for being the ‘stone in the shoe’ about this important topic.