Treatment and recovery - Sepsis

Sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies.

Sepsis is treatable if it's identified and treated early. It's best if you are put on treatment within 1 hour of diagnosis.

If you have signs of sepsis, your GP will send you to hospital.

Treatment for sepsis depends on:

• where the initial infection is and what caused it
• the organs affected
• the extent of any damage

If you're treated early, this should lead to a full recovery with no lasting problems.

Treatment in hospital

When you get to hospital you'll be treated with antibiotics.

You may also receive:

• fluids directly into a vein (intravenously)
• oxygen, if your levels are low

Medical staff in the hospital will also carry out tests to check if it's sepsis. These may include blood tests, x-rays and scans.

The tests and treatments will depend on where you have the infection and your symptoms. Most patients with sepsis will be cared for in a general hospital ward.

Emergency treatment

Sepsis needs to be treated in hospital. You may be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Sepsis causes your organs to stop working as they should. You're likely to be very ill. Up to 1 in 5 people with sepsis will die. 4 in 5 people will not.

You may need to be taken to an ICU if you are very ill with sepsis and your organs need support. For example, you may be put on a ventilator. There is a risk you may develop septic shock.

Septic shock is when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level and blood flow to vital organs is reduced. Up to 4 in 10 people who develop septic shock die. 6 in 10 people will not.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are the main treatment for sepsis. These will be given as a liquid directly into a vein (intravenous).

It's best if you are put on antibiotics within 1 hour of diagnosis. This is to reduce the risk of serious complications or death. You may be on them for up to 10 days or longer, depending on how serious your condition is.

Antibiotics work against a wide range of bacteria. When the bacteria you have is identified, you'll be given a more focused antibiotic.

Viral infections

Antibiotics do not work on viral infections. But they may be given if doctors suspect you have a secondary infection. It would be too dangerous to delay treatment while you wait on the test results.

With a viral infection, you'll be treated depending on your symptoms. This may include intravenous fluids, oxygen or other treatments. Antiviral medicine may be given in some cases.

Intravenous fluids

If you have sepsis, you will need intravenous fluids. These are put directly into a vein. This is to prevent dehydration and kidney failure.

It's important that the doctors know how much pee your kidneys are making when you have sepsis. This is so they can spot signs of kidney failure.

If you have septic shock, you'll have a catheter inserted to track how much you pee.

Oxygen

Your body may need oxygen if you have sepsis. If the level of oxygen in your blood is low, you may need to be given oxygen through a mask or tubes in your nostrils.

Treating the source of infection

The source of the infection, such as an abscess or infected wound, will also need to be treated.

For example, the medical team may need to drain any pus away. In more serious cases, you may need surgery to remove the infected tissue and repair any damage.

Increasing blood pressure

Medicines called vasopressors are used if you have low blood pressure caused by sepsis.

Other treatments

You may also need more treatment, such as:

• mechanical ventilation - where a machine is used to help you breathe
• dialysis - where a machine filters your blood to copy the function of your kidneys
• a blood transfusion
• steroids or insulin

Recovering from sepsis

If treated early, most people make a full recovery from sepsis. But it can take time.

You might continue to have physical and emotional symptoms. These can last for months or even years.

Increased sepsis risk

After a sepsis infection, you are more likely to get sepsis again. This risk decreases around 1 year after your sepsis infection.

Post-sepsis syndrome

The long-term effects of sepsis are sometimes called post-sepsis syndrome. The more severe your illness, the more likely you are to experience post-sepsis syndrome.

Post-sepsis syndrome can include:

• feeling very tired and weak
• difficulty sleeping
• lack of appetite
• getting ill more often
• changes in your mood
• anxiety or depression
• nightmares or flashbacks
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Post-sepsis syndrome is different for everyone. But the more severe your sepsis was, the more severe post-sepsis syndrome is likely to be.

Treatment for post-sepsis syndrome

Most symptoms of post-sepsis syndrome should get better on their own. But it can take time.

There are things you can do to help with some long-term effects.