Sepsis Symptoms in Adults
Doctors need to recognise sepsis symptoms in adults quickly. The condition must be diagnosed and treated without delay, and any errors could put the patient's life at risk.
If you or your loved one developed sepsis but medical practitioners did not realise in time, there could be grounds for a medical compensation claim.
For more information on claiming sepsis compensation, please get in touch with our team of medical negligence lawyers today.
Sepsis in adults
Sepsis is when an infection overwhelms the immune system, causing widespread inflammation and clotting.
Sepsis can affect anyone of any age. However, those with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk, including children, the elderly and people undergoing chemotherapy.
Nevertheless, even a healthy adult can suddenly develop sepsis. Normally this occurs due to an infection inside the body, such gastroenteritis or pneumonia. But in some cases the cause of sepsis is unknown.
Four stages of sepsis
There are four main stages of sepsis. These are:
1. Infection
As mentioned above, sepsis is usually the result of an infection. Ordinarily the body will contain an infection so that it does not spread. For instance, gastroenteritis will be contained to the stomach and intestines. This is possible because the immune system sends infection-fighting agents to the area. These keep the infection in one place and kill the bacteria or virus. This process does have some side-effects, most notably inflammation. That is why an infected area of the body will become swollen.
But if the infection is very aggressive, or the immune system is not working properly, the body will struggle to contain the infection. Consequently it will spread.
2. Sepsis
When an infection spreads, the immune system will go into overdrive, sending infection-fighting agents across the body. This is known as a systemic inflammatory response (SIRS), as the infection-fighting process will cause widespread inflammation.
3. Severe sepsis
The inflammation will prevent the blood flowing through the vessels in the normal way. Furthermore, the toxins released by bacteria can damage small blood vessels, which makes them leak into the surrounding tissues.
The blood carries oxygen to the organs, and carries away waste products. Therefore without the necessary blood supply, the organs will become deficient in oxygen and waste products will accumulate. Organ dysfunction will follow.
4. Septic shock
Due to the limited blood supply, the heart will struggle to pump blood around the body. This will lower the blood pressure to a dangerously low level. The organs will become increasingly deficient in oxygen, until eventually they stop working. This is called hypoperfusion. With septic shock, multi-system organ failure can occur.
Sepsis symptoms in adults
The symptoms of sepsis progress throughout each stage of the illness. The symptoms at each stage are detailed below:
1. Infection
- General feeling of being unwell
- High temperature
- Localised symptoms depending on where the infection is – e.g. vomiting and diarrhoea with gastroenteritis
2. Sepsis
- Fever
- Rigors (uncontrollable chills and shivering)
- Muscle pain
- Shallow, laboured breathing
- Sickness and diarrhoea
- Rapid heartbeat
3. Severe sepsis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Pale or mottled, clammy skin
- Feeling faint/collapse
- Slurred speech
- Decreased urine output
4. Septic shock
- Low blood pressure which causes dizziness and collapse
- Mental confusion and disorientation
- Loss of consciousness
Often sepsis patients will say that they have never felt so unwell and they feel like they are going to die.
The importance of recognising sepsis symptoms in adults
Sepsis can be fatal. The risk of mortality dramatically increases the longer treatment is delayed. This is evidenced by data produced by the UK Sepsis Trust, which shows mortality rates are:
- Less than 1% if treatment is given at the infection stage
- 10% if treatment is given at the sepsis stage
- 35% if treatment is given at the severe sepsis stage
- 50% if treatment is given at the septic shock stage
This shows that the faster treatment is provided, the better the prognosis will be. Once the patient has developed septic shock there is only a 50% chance of survival. For every hour that antibiotics are delayed, mortality increases by 7.6%.
Diagnosing sepsis symptoms in adults
To diagnose sepsis in adults, medical practitioners must quickly appreciate that a patient's symptoms are suggestive of sepsis. Medical tests should be conducted immediately to confirm whether or not this is the case. The following test results will support a diagnosis of sepsis:
- Blood pressure lower than 90mmHG
- Raised lactate levels in the blood
- Heart rate higher than 130 beats per minute
- Respiratory rate higher than 25 per minute
- Oxygen saturations lower than 91%
- Purpuric rash – which is a discoloration of the skin
If a patient has any of these red flag symptoms, medical practitioners must implement the sepsis protocol. Each Trust should have a sepsis protocol, which will most likely follow the Sepsis Six guidelines.
The Sepsis Six
The Sepsis Six involves six different medical therapies. It has been proven to reduce sepsis mortality rates if all are achieved within one hour. They are:
- Give high-flow oxygen
- Take blood cultures
- Give IV antibiotics
- Start IV fluid resuscitation
- Check lactate
- Monitor urine output
Failure to recognise sepsis symptoms in adults
As the statistics above verify, sepsis is best treated as early as possible. This will improve the patient's prospects of survival. It will also minimise the possibility of any long-term damage, such as cognitive impairment and disability. The UK Sepsis Trust says that 16.8% of sepsis survivors have moderate to severe cognitive impairment after suffering the condition. A further 3.8% will have mild cognitive impairment.
If a patient does suffer fatal or life-changing complications, questions must be raised as to the standard of care provided. Sepsis is a fast-moving condition, so it may be that the patient was critically unwell by the time medical help was sought. However, it may be that medical practitioners did not recognise the symptoms of sepsis quickly enough, delaying treatment and causing drastic consequences.
Legal help for sepsis claim compensation
If you believe that you, or a loved one, has been harmed by substandard sepsis care, please get in touch with our lawyers today. We will advise whether there are grounds for a medical compensation claim.
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