More than a million Americans end up in hospitals every year due to sepsis. It is still one of the top ten causes of death in the United States. Can you spot the early warning signs? No? Continue reading.
Sepsis: It’s a faulty immune reaction to an injury or disease. Instead of healing the wound, the chemicals your body releases cause inflammation.
There are 3 distinct phases to the progression of sepsis:
1. Sepsis
When the infection gets into the bloodstream, it sets off an inflammatory response all over the body.
Severe sepsis
Organs are affected by the infection.
Septic shock
Hypotension causes respiratory failure, heart failure, stroke, organ failure, and ultimately death.
Anyone can get sepsis, but pregnant women, the elderly, children, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk. Sepsis is typically contracted by patients undergoing treatment for another illness in a hospital setting. This happens when the body’s defenses are weak and infections can easily get in.
