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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffSepsis ranges from less to more severe. As sepsis worsens, blood flow to vital organs, such as your brain, heart and kidneys, becomes impaired. Sepsis can also cause blood clots to form in your organs and in your arms, legs, fingers and toes, leading to varying degrees of organ failure and tissue death (gangrene).
Most people recover from mild sepsis, but about 15 percent die. Some studies indicate that the mortality rate for severe sepsis or septic shock is close to 50 percent.
- Neviere R. Sepsis and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome: Definitions, epidemiology and prognosis. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Shapiro NI, et al. Sepsis syndromes. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/133981928-3/0/1365/424.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50141-4--cesec18_7402. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Enrione MA, et al. Sepsis, septic shock and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/133981928-3/0/1608/514.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50178-X--cesec6_4006. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Neviere R. Pathophysiology of sepsis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Rivers EP, et al. Improving outcomes for severe sepsis and septic shock: Tools for Early identification of at-risk patients and treatment protocol implementation. Critical Care Clinics. 2008;23:S1.
- Chest X-ray. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=chestrad. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- CT: Body. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- Abdominal ultrasound. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=abdominus. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- MRI of the spine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=spinemr. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- Schmidt GA, et al. Management of severe sepsis and septic shock in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 29, 2009.
