What is sepsis?
Sepsis (also known as blood poisoning) is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury. Normally our immune system fights infection – but sometimes, for reasons we don’t yet understand, it attacks our body’s own organs and tissues. If not treated immediately, sepsis can result in organ failure and death. Yet with early diagnosis, it can be treated with antibiotics.
5 people die with sepsis every hour in the UK. By helping us to reach more people with the signs of sepsis, we can work towards ending preventable deaths from this condition. After all, there is power in numbers. Click here to share the signs of sepsis on Twitter or download our Social Media graphic to share.
Symptoms
Sepsis can initially look like flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection. There is no one sign, and sepsis symptoms present differently between adults and children.