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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMany doctors view sepsis as a three-stage syndrome, starting with sepsis and progressing through severe sepsis to septic shock. The goal is to treat sepsis during its mild stage, before it becomes more dangerous.
Sepsis
To be diagnosed with sepsis, you must exhibit at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever above 101.3 F (38.5 C) or below 95 F (35 C)
- Heart rate higher than 90 beats a minute
- Respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths a minute
- Probable or confirmed infection
Severe sepsis
Your diagnosis will be upgraded to severe sepsis if you also exhibit at least one of the following signs and symptoms, which indicate organ dysfunction:
- Areas of mottled skin
- Significantly decreased urine output
- Abrupt change in mental status
- Decrease in platelet count
- Difficulty breathing
- Abnormal heart function
Septic shock
To be diagnosed with septic shock, you must have the signs and symptoms of severe sepsis — plus extremely low blood pressure.
When to see a doctor
Most often sepsis occurs in people who are hospitalized. People in the intensive care unit (ICU) are especially vulnerable to developing infections, which can then lead to sepsis. If you get an infection, or if you develop signs and symptoms of sepsis after surgery, hospitalization or an infection, seek medical care promptly.
- 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.
