Sepsis (Blood Infection)

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Medical Author:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Sepsis Overview
• Sepsis Causes
• Sepsis Symptoms and Signs
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Sepsis Diagnosis
• Sepsis Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Sepsis Prognosis
• Pictures of Sepsis
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Read more on Sepsis (Blood Infection) from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Sepsis (Blood Infection) - Treatments
• Viewer Comments: Sepsis (Blood Infection) - Causes

Sepsis Overview

Sepsis is a condition in which the body is fighting a severe infection that has spread via the bloodstream. If a patient becomes "septic," they will likely have low blood pressure leading to poor circulation and lack of perfusion of vital tissues and organs. This condition is termed "shock." This condition can develop either as a result of the body's own defense system or from toxic substances made by the infecting agent (such as a bacteria, virus, or fungus).

People at Risk for Sepsis

• People whose immune systems (the body's defense against microbes) are not functioning well because of an illness (such as diabetes or AIDS) or because of medical treatments (such as chemotherapy for cancer or steroids for a number of medical conditions) that weaken the immune system are more prone to develop sepsis. It is important to remember that even healthy people can become septic.



• Because their immune systems are not completely developed, very young babies may get sepsis if they become infected and are not treated in a timely manner. Often, if they develop signs of an infection such as fever, infants have to receive antibiotics and be admitted to the hospital. Sepsis in the very young is often more difficult to diagnose because the typical signs of sepsis (fever, change in behavior) may not be present or may be more difficult to ascertain.



• The elderly population, especially those with other medical illnesses such as diabetes, may be at increased risk as well.

The number of people dying from sepsis has almost doubled in the past 20 years. This is most likely due to the increased number of patients who suffer from sepsis. The number of patients who develop sepsis has increased for many reasons.

• There has been a large increase in sepsis because doctors have started treating cancer patients and organ-transplant patients, among others, with strong medications that weaken the immune system. In the past, these patients would have died due to complications of their disease. As we get better at treating the underlying illness, patients survive longer but then sometimes die due to the complications of the therapy.



• Because of our aging population, the number of elderly people with weak immune systems has grown.



• Because antibiotic use has increased, many strains of bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics, making the treatment of sepsis more difficult in some cases.