How Do You Get Sepsis/Septicaemia
In this article we explore how you get sepsis/septicaemia. There are various potential causes, with a bacterial infection being one of the most common. Read on to find out more.
Alternatively if you are looking for a solicitor to talk to about sepsis that was not diagnosed and treated quickly, please get in touch with us. We specialise in medical negligence law and will be able to offer professional legal advice. As part of this, we will suggest whether you have (or your loved one has) been the victim of medical negligence, and whether legal action can be pursued.
Sepsis
Sepsis is when the body's immune system 'over-reacts' to an infection, prompting clotting and inflammation throughout the body. Therefore 'sepsis' is the over-arching term used for what is actually a series of reactions. The order of these reactions are as follows:
- The immune system is unable to contain an infection and it enters the bloodstream, spreading across the body
- The immune system still attempts to fight the infection. As part of the standard immune response, blood vessels across the body 'open up' to leak clotting agents into the tissue
- Because the infection is present throughout the body, all of the vessels leak, causing widespread inflammation and clotting, and a drop in blood pressure
- The drop in blood pressure leaves the heart unable to pump blood around the body effectively
- The organs become deficient in blood and oxygen, resulting in multi-system organ failure
Septicaemia
Septicaemia and sepsis are very closely linked and the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, sepsis and septicaemia are in fact slightly different.
Septicaemia is more accurately described as blood poisoning. It is when the bacteria get into the bloodstream, making it the first stage of sepsis as set out above.
On the other hand, sepsis is the entire process of a septic inflammatory response, meaning it is not just confined to the blood. Sepsis can begin with septicaemia, where bacteria get into the bloodstream, but can then go on to involve the organs.
How do you get sepsis/septicaemia?
Septicaemia is always caused by a bacterial infection. Sepsis is also normally caused by a bacterial infection, although in some cases is associated with viral and fungal infections.
As it is the most common cause, the rest of this article will focus upon bacterial causes of sepsis and septicaemia.
Most people will get sepsis/septicaemia after suffering from another bacterial infection. This might include:
- Chest infection (pneumonia)
- Urinary tract infection
- Gallbladder infection
- Peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdomen, commonly caused by a burst appendix or stomach ulcer
- Meningitis
- Skin infection (cellulitis or necrotising fasciitis)
In some cases, sepsis/septicaemia can happen after the skin is traumatised in some way, giving bacteria an opportunity to enter the body. This might include:
- An insect bite
- A burn
- A scratch, graze or surgical wound
- A catheter
- A needle-entry wound, such as a cannula
- A pressure sore
Who gets sepsis/septicaemia?
Just because someone develops a urinary tract infection or sustains a spider bite does not mean that he/she will suffer sepsis.
In healthy individuals, the immune system will immediately set to work when faced with a bacterial infection. White blood cells will be sent to the site of infection and will destroy the bacteria, often successfully. As part of this reaction, the surrounding tissue will become inflamed, as this will help to contain the infection.
But if the individual has a weak immune system, or if the infection is particularly aggressive, the body will not be able to contain the infection. Therefore people with weak immune systems are more at risk of getting sepsis, including:
- The elderly and the very young
- People who are having immune-suppressive treatment, e.g. chemotherapy
- Patients with illnesses that weaken the immune system, e.g. leukaemia and HIV/AIDS
- Pregnant women
- Diabetes sufferers
- People who have recently undergone surgery
However, even seemingly healthy individuals can get sepsis from apparently minor infections, such as a urinary tract infection. This will occur because the infection is very severe and overwhelms the immune system. This means that ultimately, anyone of any age can get sepsis/septicaemia.
Symptoms of sepsis/septicaemia
Septicaemia/sepsis are very serious conditions and must be diagnosed and treated immediately. Otherwise the organs will start to shut down, something which can quickly lead to multi-system organ failure and death.
In order to treat sepsis before multi-organ failure occurs, medical practitioners must diagnose the illness and appreciate the need for urgent action. The diagnostic process must begin with medical practitioners recognising the patient's symptoms as being consistent with sepsis.
The symptoms of sepsis/septicaemia are:
- A high temperature
- Shivering and chills
- Fast heart rate
- Fast, shallow, laboured breathing
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
- Feeling dizzy and faint
- Confusion
- Pale, mottled skin
- Decreased urine output
A patient who presents with these symptoms should be immediately investigated for sepsis. It only takes a few simple tests to confirm a diagnosis, including blood and urine samples, temperature and blood pressure checks, and assessing the patient's heart rate/breathing rate.
As soon as sepsis is suspected, the patient must be admitted to hospital and a sepsis protocol implemented. This involves administering intravenous antibiotics and fluids, providing oxygen and stabilising the organs. All this must be achieved within one hour of the patient being admitted.
Sepsis treatment too slow
If the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis/septicaemia is too slow, the patient may suffer long-lasting damage. Alternatively, fatal complications may arise. If delays in medical care are to blame, there could be grounds for a medical negligence claim. To find out more about sepsis claims, you need to speak to a solicitor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you get sepsis/septicaemia after bacteria spread from an existing infection somewhere in the body (such as the urinary tract), or when bacteria enter the body through a break in the skin (such as an insect bite).
The immune system cannot control the infection so the bacteria are able to spread to the blood, which is called septicaemia. The bacteria travel across the body in the bloodstream, prompting the immune system to set off a septic inflammatory response, which is known more generally as sepsis.
Sepsis/septicaemia must be diagnosed and treated quickly, meaning within hours. A failure to do so could amount to medical negligence. The patient, or their family, may then be entitled to pursue a claim for compensation. Contact us for more information.
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To find out more about making a medical negligence claim, please get in touch with our team today. We will advise whether or not you are eligible to pursue a claim for compensation. If so, we can help you get the financial redress you deserve.
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