What To Know About Sepsis and Why Early Treatment Matters
Key Takeaways:
- Sepsis is a life-threatening, full-body response to infection that affects up to 2 million Americans annually and can progress rapidly if not treated.
- Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk, and early symptoms can include extreme fatigue, low urine output, nausea and lack of energy.
- Prompt medical care is critical - early antibiotics and IV fluids significantly improve survival, and prevention steps like good hygiene and healthy habits can reduce risk.
Following the tragic death of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, many people have sought to better understand sepsis, a serious medical emergency that affects millions of Americans each year.
The heightened awareness has sparked important conversations about the condition, including who is at risk, the warning signs to watch for and why timely medical care is so important.
“Sepsis is kind of a full body-wide reaction to an infection that starts out in one small part of the body,” Joel Provenzano, MD, ICU medical director at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital told 10TV. “If it's not treated or addressed appropriately, it'll develop really quickly into this body-wide overdrive immune reaction.”
According to Dr. Provenzano, sepsis affects between 1.5 million and 2 million people in the United States each year and contributes to approximately 350,000 deaths annually.
Sepsis can develop from a variety of infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections and other bacterial, viral or fungal infections. While anyone can develop sepsis, some groups are at higher risk.
"Typically, we see this in the very young or the very old, or anybody who's on any sort of immunosuppressing medication," Dr. Provenzano said. “If you don't have an immune system that's fully developed, the infection can kind of run rampant before you're even fully aware that you're suffering from it.”
Because sepsis can progress rapidly, recognizing symptoms early is critical. When the body enters a septic state, it is under significant stress. Symptoms can include loss of appetite, nausea, extreme fatigue, decreased urine output and a lack of energy.
"When it gets to the point where you don't have as much urine output, you don't feel like getting up or moving, you get severe fatigue, that tells you that your body is really overacting towards an infection," Dr. Provenzano said. These symptoms can be especially concerning when they occur alongside a known infection or illness that doesn't seem to be improving.
One of the biggest advances in sepsis care has been the emphasis on rapid treatment.
"Early administration of large amounts of IV fluids and antibiotics as soon as possible was the thing that changed mortality rates more than anything else," Dr. Provenzano said.
Decades of research have shown that identifying sepsis early and beginning treatment quickly can dramatically improve outcomes. That's why Dr. Provenzano encourages anyone experiencing severe symptoms from an infection to seek medical attention rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen.
"I would say prevention is the most important thing," he said. "Making sure you're getting good sleep, a well-balanced diet, things that are going to keep your immune system active and strong."
He also emphasized a simple but effective step many people learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands," he said. "Anytime your hands are visibly soiled, anytime you've gone to the bathroom, anytime before you eat, make sure you wash your hands."
For those who develop an infection, seeking timely medical care can make all the difference.
"Please seek your healthcare provider," Dr. Provenzano said. "Early recognition of that infection getting out of control is absolutely the biggest thing that can lead toward survival."
