Is it possible to recover from Sepsis?
Sepsis is a life-threatening illness with a high mortality rate that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment if the patient is to survive. But what are the chances of survival and recovery?
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a devastating condition that affects approximately 140,000 people a year in the UK.
Sepsis is where the body responds abnormally to an infection, thereby putting the patient's life at risk. It is not an infection in itself. It is usually triggered by an infection elsewhere in the body that the patient's immune system does not react to in the normal way. In a healthy body, the immune system responds locally to an infection, sending white blood cells to that location to deal with the infection. This can cause swelling in that area. Occasionally, however, the infection may spread to other parts of the body, causing the immune system to over-react, resulting in widespread swelling across the body, reducing blood flow and potentially causing septic shock, multiple organ failure and death.
Diagnosing sepsis
Accurate and prompt diagnosis – followed by immediate action - are fundamental to the patient's chances of survival.
Fortunately, there are key signs that someone is suffering from sepsis which medical practitioners should be able to recognise, such as:
- Chills, due to a lowered body temperature
- Laboured or fast breathing
- Mottled skin
- Decreased quantity of urine
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion
If the medical practitioner observes these signs in their patient, they should consider the possibility that the patient is exhibiting early signs of sepsis.
There are alternative conditions that might cause widespread swelling of the body, such as severe burning or a response to major surgery, but the possibility of sepsis being to account for swelling should not be ignored.
Treating Sepsis
Sepsis accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths per year in the UK. For many patients, they may survive the condition but need to stay in hospital for months in order to recover from the effects of the damage to their organs. In terms of increasing the patient's chances of survival and recovery, it has been said that 'time is of the essence'.
There is currently no drug that will specifically treat sepsis. Someone suffering from suspected sepsis needs to be put on broad-spectrum antibiotics immediately whilst investigations are undertaken to identify the underlying cause. It has been observed that even a delay of one hour in administering antibiotics might reduce a patient's chances of survival.
Thorough investigations – blood tests, urine tests, blood culture tests - should be carried out to try to identify the cause of the infection as this will also increase the patient's chances of survival.
The patient will additionally need supportive care in the form of nutrition – intravenous liquid and food intake – to sustain the body whilst it recovers. They may even require oxygen if their body is struggling to maintain its own oxygen levels.
The patient may also need to be moved to intensive care for close monitoring.
Diagnosing The Underlying Cause
Ideally, the underlying infection that has caused the body's over-reaction will be identified and then treated to help the body recover and reduce the chance of on-going sepsis. However, it can sometimes be difficult to identify the initial infection conclusively. In fact, sometimes, the underlying infection is never identified.
This is because a wide range of different infections can prompt the body to a sepsis reaction. Frequently, these may be chest infections, such as pneumonia, abdominal infections, a gallbladder infection or urinary infections. However, an infection can set in after surgery or even a cut or bite can cause an infection that might lead to sepsis.
Unfortunately, there is currently no single, definitive test that can identify what the underlying infection is and it can be time-consuming to test for separate possibilities such as urinary, chest infections etc. This is why antibiotic treatment should be considered at the first signs of sepsis rather than wait to find the underlying cause.
Recovering from sepsis
A patient's chances of surviving sepsis depend on a variety of factors but there are three key aspects:
- The patient's fundamental health – infants, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system are most vulnerable – will influence how well their body can combat and respond to the illness
- The severity and duration of the sepsis attack
- The promptness with which their condition is recognised and treated
It is important to note that many people make a speedy and full recovery from sepsis. Some will survive the condition but need longer to recover and may remain in hospital for some time. During this time, they may experience various conditions including breathlessness, lethargy, insomnia, joint pain and on-going infections. An extended hospital stay can, in itself, cause additional health problems.
Medical Negligence
If your sepsis symptoms have gone undiagnosed and treatment has been delayed, resulting in long-term effects, you may have been the victim of medical negligence.
Contact us at Glynns Solicitors to discuss your circumstances and find out if you are able to make claim for compensation.
Call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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