Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening medical condition that happens when the body improperly responds to an infection. When sepsis sets in, the immune system starts fighting the body’s tissues, interfering with bodily functions and damaging otherwise healthy tissues. Although sepsis can occur from a natural infection, other causes of sepsis include failure to diagnose or treat infections or aggressive infections acquired in a hospital. There are three stages of sepsis, leading up to more severe and life-threatening stages.
Stage 1: Sepsis
The first stage of sepsis, also called systemic inflammatory response system, occurs when an infection triggers an immune system attack on the body’s tissues. Some symptoms of the first stage of sepsis include:
- Unusual sweating or shivering
- Lightheadedness
- Worsening symptoms related to the infection, such as increasingly painful urination from a urinary tract infection (UTI) or a worsening cough from a respiratory infection
- Dropping from a high white blood cell count to a low blood cell count
Stage 2: Severe Sepsis
The second stage of sepsis, severe sepsis, begins when organs experience acute dysfunction, a severe decline in organ function. Signs of second-stage sepsis include:
- Changes in mental state
- Decreased urine output
- Abnormal bowel movements
- Decreased platelet or white blood cell count
- Difficulty breathing, including shallow or rapid breathing
- Abnormal heart rate
- Abdominal pain
Other serious effects of sepsis in its second stage include:
- Widespread inflammation or persistent high fever
- Low blood pressure
- Inability to stand for long periods
- Excessive fatigue or trouble staying awake
Stage 3: Septic Shock
The third stage of sepsis, also called septic shock, presents an imminent threat of death. Septic shock causes extremely low blood pressure even after the introduction of IV fluids. Complications of septic shock include:
- Rapid heart rate
- Shallow, rapid breathing
- Fever
- Hypothermia (low body temperature), chills, and shivering
- Warm, clammy, or sweaty skin
- Confusion or disorientation
- Lightheadedness
- Little or no urine output
- Extremities feeling cool or cold to the touch
- Heart palpitations
Left untreated, a person can die from sepsis. Those at higher risk for developing septic shock include:
- Newborns
- Pregnant women
- Recreational drug users
- People with artificial joints or heart valves
- People over 65 and nursing home residents
- People with chronic health conditions that affect the immune system, such as diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma, or AIDS
About half of all people who recover from sepsis develop post-sepsis syndrome, which causes long-term physical changes or complications, including:
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe muscle or joint pain
- Swelling
- Recurring infections
- Reduced appetite
- Reduced organ function
- Skin rashes
- Hair loss
The risk of developing post-sepsis syndrome increases as a case of sepsis progresses through the stages. Older adults also have a higher chance of developing post-sepsis syndrome.
Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney for a Free Case Review
If you suspect negligent medical care caused you to develop sepsis, contact the Illinois medical malpractice attorneys at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. today for a free consultation. We are here to provide you with the legal advocacy needed to seek justice for the serious effects of sepsis you suffered.
