Sepsis

Sepsis is a serious medical condition. It occurs when your body reacts very strongly to an infection. Any infection — like a cut, pneumonia or an infection after surgery — can spread to your bloodstream and lead to sepsis.

When sepsis happens, it harms your tissues and organs. This damage can prevent organs like your lungs, skin and kidney from working properly. 

Signs of sepsis include:

• extreme shivering
• muscle pain
• fever
• shortness of breath
• feeling very unwell
• confusion
• light-headedness
• low blood pressure

If sepsis is not treated, it can lead to septic shock. This is a life-threatening condition. It causes your blood pressure to drop and organs to fail. Getting diagnosed and treated early can lower the risk of death by half. While sepsis can affect anyone, some people are more at risk. This includes babies, older adults, people with chronic illnesses or those on treatments like chemotherapy. You can help prevent sepsis by getting vaccinated, practicing good hygiene and treating infections early with antibiotics.

There is no single test to diagnose sepsis. We will review your medical history and look for signs like a fast heartbeat and low blood pressure.

We may use several tests to check for infection and organ damage. These include: 

• Blood tests. We take blood samples to check for signs of infection and look for bacteria in your blood. We may do this test twice to make sure it is accurate.
• Other tests. Depending on where your infection is, we may take other samples. This could include swabs from your skin or wound, mucus samples for lung infections or urine samples. These tests help us find the germ causing the infection and choose the right antibiotics. We may get early results in two days.  Final results usually take five days.
• Imaging tests. We use X-rays, ultrasounds or CT scans to find infections in your organs. 

If you have sepsis, treatment must start right away to stop the infection. The sooner treatment begins, the more effective it will be. If you have septic shock, we may care for you in the intensive care unit (ICU) to monitor you closely. You will need a lot of fluids as well as medicines to help raise your blood pressure and other organ support.

Here are some common treatments for sepsis:

• Antibiotics. These medicines kill the bacteria that cause infection. They are usually given through an IV (intravenous) line. We start with broad-spectrum antibiotics. These are medicines that fight many kinds of infections. Once we find out which bacteria are causing your infection, we may switch to antibiotics that target that specific type.
• Fluids. You may receive fluids through an IV. This helps improve blood flow and delivers oxygen to your organs.
• Medications. Other medications may be given to improve your blood pressure and blood flow to your organs.
• Oxygen therapy. If you have trouble breathing, you may get oxygen to help. In some cases, you may need a ventilator. This is a life-support machine that helps you breathe.
• Dialysis. If your kidneys are not working properly, you may need dialysis. This process filters waste from your blood.
• Surgery. Sometimes, surgery may be necessary to remove tissue damaged by the infection. This helps prevent the infection from spreading.

Clinics that treat sepsis

The Indigenous Wellness Liaison Team is here to support your health journey. Team members offer cultural support and healthcare advocacy. Learn more below or call them at 604-682-2344,62937 or email IWL@providencehealth.bc.ca.

Advances in treatments are all thanks to medical research. While participating in research is a decision you should make for yourself in consultation with your care team, there is much activity in this area so please ask us about our research programs if you’re interested.

By taking part in research, you can help us all learn more about advancing health outcomes and find better ways to help people live and thrive. While you cannot assume benefit to yourself, your participation can make a difference in improving care for future patients.

The following clinical trials are currently enrolling volunteers. Please ask your care team for more information or contact the research team listed on each study or trial. For other information about research at Providence Health Care, please visit Providence Research.