Sepsis: From confusion to fever, the five key warning signs to be on look out for

Although in the early stages, sepsis, flu and chest infections can have similar symptoms, Colin Graham, chief operating officer at Sepsis Research FEAT, stresses there are five key sepsis symptoms…

High/low temperature

Sepsis can cause a patient to develop a high fever as part of the body’s immune response, although in some cases they’ll develop a low body temperature (hypothermia) instead. “Hypothermia during sepsis is considered very dangerous,” stresses Graham. “There’s more risk of fatality than when a patient develops a fever.”

Uncontrolled shivering

Sepsis can cause a drop in body temperature and severe shivering, which is one of a response to fighting infection, and is the body’s way of trying to increase its temperature.

Confusion

Sepsis can cause acute inflammation and swelling, making it difficult to breathe, and leading to a drop in oxygen levels. “Low levels of oxygen in the blood can cause mental confusion and delirium,” explains Graham.

Passing little urine

As sepsis progresses, blood pressure may become very low, which means not enough blood and oxygen can reach the body’s organs, says Graham. This can cause organ failure, he says, and when kidneys start to fail it can lead to a drop in urine output.

Blotchy or cold arms and legs

During sepsis, the clotting mechanism works overtime. Nutrients can’t get to the tissues in the fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, and legs and the body’s tissues begin to die, says Graham. At first, the skin may look mottled or blotchy and may appear blueish. In severe cases of sepsis, the areas of dead skin can turn black and limbs may need to be amputated. Someone with sepsis might not show all these symptoms at once, says Graham, and may have other symptoms like difficulty breathing and a rapid heartbeat, which may occur because sepsis can make arteries dilate or widen, causing a drop in blood pressure, which means the heart has to work harder to push the blood through.

On their own, symptoms can be an indication of other health problems, says Graham, but a combination of two or more of them, becoming progressively worse, means you need to seek urgent medical attention, so call 999 or go to A&E. He says every hour treatment is delayed, the chance of survival reduces by over 7%.

Tomorrow is World Sepsis Day. To find out more, visit sepsisresearch.org. uk/world-sepsis-day