The NHS has issued a catalogue of warning signs encouraging the public to "trust your instincts" regarding sepsis, a condition that can swiftly escalate into a life-threatening emergency. Sepsis is a serious reaction to an infection that usually develops over the course of a few hours.
What Is Sepsis?
Sepsis develops when the body's immune system goes into overdrive in response to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs, causing serious damage. If not treated swiftly, it can turn into septic shock, which is a life-threatening emergency. A recent message on X, previously known as Twitter, from the NHS states: "It can be hard to spot, so make sure you know the symptoms."
Urgent Action Needed
The alert from the health service emphasises that sepsis can worsen rapidly, pressing people to become familiar with the warning signs and understand the necessary course of action if they identify any. Sepsis requires urgent treatment in hospital, so acting quickly is crucial, reports the Mirror. Any type of infection can lead to sepsis, but bacterial infections are the most common cause, including chest infections such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTIs), abdominal infections like appendicitis, or skin infections including cellulitis or infected wounds.
Sepsis Symptoms in Adults
- Confusion or slurred speech
- Uncontrollable shivering
- Muscle pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Blue, pale, grey or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A high or low temperature – a high temperature is less common in older adults
- Not peeing all day or peeing very little in the past 18 hours
Sepsis Symptoms in Babies and Children
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Having a fit (seizure)
- A high or low temperature – feeling very hot or cold when you touch them
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you press it – this type of rash is rare in sepsis, but it may be a symptom of meningitis
- Being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake
- Not peeing in the last 12 hours (for babies and children under 5 years), or not peeing all day (for children 5 years and over) – you can check a baby's nappy to see if it's dry
- Babies and children under 5 years may also not be interested in feeding or they may keep being sick (vomiting)
Who Is at Higher Risk?
Anyone can get sepsis, but some groups are at a higher risk, including babies under 12 months, older people aged over 75, anyone who has been pregnant, given birth, or had a miscarriage or abortion in the last six weeks, or people with weakened immune systems. The NHS urges: "A child or adult with sepsis might not have every symptom listed. Get immediate medical help if you or your child are unwell and you think there's something seriously wrong."
