What is Sepsis?
Sepsis is your body’s response at fighting an untreated infection. Should an infection be present for too long, your immune system will produce an extreme response which will begin causing damage to its own tissues and organs.
This condition is indiscriminate of any biological factors and can happen to anyone harbouring an infection; however, it is found in higher frequencies in the elderly; the very young; pregnant individuals; or those with other health problems.
Sepsis can present in many ways and as such, it can be difficult to identify, but the most common symptoms present as:
- Extreme body temperature such as fever or low temperature
- High heart rate
- Confusion and slurred speech
- Difficulty breathing
- Discoloured or mottled skin
- Failure to pass urine over a 24-hour period.
Sepsis takes a life every 3 seconds worldwide. This is 11 million lives a year; more lives than breast, bowel, and prostate cancer combined.
Treatment
Sepsis can be treated effectively if treatment begins early. This is why it is of the utmost importance for healthcare professionals to be alert to the symptoms and perform the necessary tests to diagnose it promptly.
A singular diagnostic test does not yet exist for sepsis, so healthcare professionals are required to use a combination of tests to diagnose sepsis as soon as possible.
If left undiagnosed, sepsis can have devastating consequences leading to septic shock and organ failure. As it can potentially be treated with antibiotics, it is worthy to present at any medical institution as soon as you present with any symptoms.
Long Term Impacts
As above, should sepsis be identified early, it can be treated effectively, and it will be unlikely that there are any lasting consequences.
However, failure to diagnose can lead to severe sepsis, which ultimately reduces the blood supply to your tissues and affects your internal organs. Septic shock is when there is a dramatic drop in an individual’s blood pressure, leading to the organs being starved of oxygen. The survival rate for septic shock is low but people can and do survive.
In up to 50% of cases, people can experience post-sepsis syndrome. This is a long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological syndrome. It can cause lethargy, fatigue, insomnia, muscle and joint pain, swelling in the limbs, and reduced organ function. It can have a psychological impact with hallucinations and panic attacks, flashbacks, memory loss, depression, and decreased cognitive functioning.
Medical Malpractice
It is possible that an individual could be eligible to bring a claim due litany of factors. The typical circumstances whereby a claim arises are as such:
- If a medical institution fails to diagnose the condition when an individual presents with typical symptoms, and there is avoidable loss as a result.
- If sepsis is misdiagnosed as another condition and is therefore incorrectly treated.
- If sepsis is diagnosed but incorrectly treated and there is harm as a result.
- If a medical institution causes sepsis by late or delayed treatment.
- If a medial institution causes sepsis by poor hygiene standards or poor care.
If you believe you are a victim of someone else’s negligence regarding sepsis, then we may be able to assist in making a no win, no fee claim for clinical negligence