What is Sepsis?
What is Sepsis?Even though your immune system protects you from bacteria and viruses, you can still get an infection.Normally when you have an infection, your body releases substances into the bloodstream to fight theinfection.But in some instances, your body’s defense system gets overwhelmed, the infection takes over and causes asevere unhealthy response. This extreme reaction is called Sepsis. Sepsis can be mild to severe. As sepsisworsens, it can damage many of your organs and cause blood clots to form. Without treatment, Sepsis canlead to damage to your body and organs, severe illness, and even death.Most sepsis is caused by bacterial infections, but it can also be a result of other infections, like viralinfections. Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Some people are at higherrisk for Sepsis including people 65 years and older, people with weakened immune systems, people withchronic medical conditions such as diabetes, lung disease and cancer, and children younger than one year old.While there is no one specific sign or symptom of Sepsis, there are several warning signs health care providersmust watch out for."This may be someone that has low blood pressure. This may be someone that has elevatedtemperature. This may be someone that is confused or has an altered mental state. Those are keysigns that we will look for. If we think that someone may be becoming septic, or may be entering aseptic phase, we will move very quickly to adequately diagnose this and begin early treatment."If you are in the hospital and notice any of these symptoms tell your healthcare provider right way. Sepsisstarts with an infection so the best way to prevent sepsis, is to do all you can to prevent an infection. Practicegood hygiene, such as washing your hands and keeping cuts clean and covered until healed.If you do get an infection, talk to your healthcare provider about how to treat it so it doesn’t progress to sepsis.And don’t ignore the warning signs that your infection is getting worse. If you have an infection that’s notgetting better or you notice these symptoms in a loved one, talk to your healthcare provider and get medicalhelp immediately.For more information about Sepsis, visit cdc.gov.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER60421A EN WhatisSepsis.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 1
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