Keywords

COVID-19, Septicaemia, Sepsis prevention

Mini Review

Sepsis, which used to be known as septicaemia or blood poisoning, occurs when the body’s response to an infection causes damage to healthy tissues and organs. The main problem is immune system is over-responding to the threat and attacking healthy parts of the body.

Sepsis can be caused by any type of infection – viral, fungal, or bacterial – but it most commonly occurs with bacterial infections of the lungs, urinary tract (bladder, urethra, kidneys), abdomen, skin and soft tissues. It can lead to tissue damage, multiple organ failure and death.

Some of the people around the world who have died from COVID-19, have died because they have had sepsis. Once the disease has made them sick, their body has tried to fight off the infection and overreacted, shutting down their organs and killing healthy tissue. Now, when people are in medical care with COVID-19, their doctors and nurses are on high alert for sepsis developing and causing them to become even more unwell.

Sepsis, which used to be known as septicaemia or blood poisoning, occurs when the body’s response to an infection causes damage to healthy tissues and organs. It’s not actually the infection causing the matter, but the system over-responding to the threat and attacking healthy parts of the body.

Some of the people around the world who have died from COVID-19, have died because they have had sepsis. Once the disease has made them sick, their body has tried to fight off the infection and overreacted, shutting down their organs and killing healthy tissue. Now, when people are in medical care with COVID-19, their doctors and nurses are on high alert for sepsis developing and causing them to become even more unwell.

Symptoms

Adults with sepsis might experience one or more of the subsequent symptoms:

• Fast breathing

• Fast heartbeat

• Skin rash or sweaty skin

• Weakness or muscle ache

• Not passing much urine

• Feeling very hot or cold, or shivering

• Feeling confused or disoriented

• Feeling very unwell, extreme pain.

Adults with sepsis might express that they desire they're dying or that they need never been so sick and are worried about their health.

Children with sepsis might experience one or more of the subsequent symptoms:

• Fast breathing

• Convulsions

• A rash that doesn’t fade when pressed

• Discoloured or blotchy skin, or skin that is very pale or bluish

• Not passing urine for several hours

• Nausea

• Not feeding or eating

• A high or very low temperature

• Sleeping, confused or irritable

• Pain or discomfort that doesn’t respond to ordinary pain relief like paracetamol.

Prevention

You can also prevent sepsis by protecting yourself against getting infections, because infections can sometimes cause sepsis. When it comes to COVID-19, the best thing you can do is follow guidelines to help stop yourself and others from catching the virus. You should:

• Wash your hands often and properly

• Try not to touch your face

• Stay at least 1.5 metres away from anyone who is sick, coughing or sneezing

• Stay at home when you’re sick

• Follow social distancing guidelines by keeping 1.5 metres away from others.

Source: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/ coronavirus-covid-19-sepsis-side-effects-symptoms