Know the Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis

Intro: This is Weekly Dose of Wellness brought to you by MemorialCare Health System. Here's Deborah Howell.

Deborah Howell (Host): Welcome to the show. I'm Deborah Howell, and today we'll be talking about the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Our guest today is Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN, a clinical quality analyst at Orange Coast Memorial. She is currently participating in initiatives including sepsis patient care, reducing patient falls, reducing hospital-acquired pressure injury, and improving medication reconciliation compliance. Welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Thank you.

Deborah Howell (Host): I think most of us know that sepsis is a medical emergency, but Jennifer, what exactly is sepsis?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Well, sepsis is your body's toxic response to an infection. So typically, you know, your body's immune system is supposed to fight off infection, but when sepsis occurs, your immune system actually goes into overdrive and begins to attack your body, and it is a medical emergency. So that's basically what sepsis is.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay, and approximately how many people are affected by sepsis every year?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Well, surprisingly, only 55% of adults even know what sepsis is, which I find a little scary because it is a medical emergency, and 1.6 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with sepsis every year. That's one every 20 seconds, which is just amazing. And out of those people, 258,000 people die from sepsis each year. That's actually one person every two minutes, which is more than prostate cancer or breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Deborah Howell (Host): Oh my goodness, I had no idea.

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Very scary.

Deborah Howell (Host): What are some of the symptoms of sepsis someone should look out for?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Well, sepsis mimics the flu or a virus, so the - the symptoms come on very subtly, but it progresses very fastly. And what I tell people: just remember the name "SEPSIS." So:

• S: shivering, cold, you have a fever.
• E: you have extreme pain, general discomfort.
• P: pale or discolored skin.
• S: you're very sleepy, you're very tired, very confused.
• I: "I feel like I might die."
• S: shortness of breath.

So if you display any of those symptoms, seek out medical attention immediately. Even if you're not sure, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Deborah Howell (Host): Absolutely. And can anyone get sepsis? And - and also, is it contagious?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Well, sepsis is an equal opportunist response, which is very scary. So yes, anyone can get sepsis. There are people that are at higher risk, such as children, elderly people, people with cancer, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. So it is an equal opportunist response. As far as contagious, sepsis isn't contagious; the infection that triggers sepsis can be contagious. So keep in mind: sepsis is the body's reaction to the infection, not the infection itself.

Deborah Howell (Host): Got it. And there could be a variety of infections that cause sepsis.

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Correct.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay. Now most people say, "Oh, you only get sepsis in the hospital," but can you get sepsis outside of the hospital or aside from recently having surgery?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Absolutely. In fact, 92% of sepsis cases originate in the community. So like I said, it can be like a flu or virus that can turn into a sepsis response. So it's more prevalent outside of the hospital. But absolutely, if you have surgery, that's a source of infection. You know, you have an incision that can get infected and then your body's response can turn into sepsis.

Deborah Howell (Host): I see. Now you partially answered this for me already, but what are some of the common infections that can potentially lead to sepsis?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: The most common infection is lung infection, so for example, pneumonia. So 35% of sepsis cases originate from the lung. The second most common infection is a urinary tract infection. So that's 25% of - a urinary tract infection can turn into sepsis. The last two most common are a gut infection and skin infection. So as we were talking about surgical incisions, or you're out, you know, walking and you cut yourself, that skin infection can turn potentially into sepsis.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay. Now, the good part: what are some of the ways to prevent developing sepsis?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: There are many things people can do to prevent sepsis. So first thing you want to do: practice good hygiene. Wash your hands. We hear this time and time again, wash your hands, but it's so true. Definitely wash your hands, keep up with current vaccinations - for example, the flu vaccine, that's a great way to prevent getting the flu. Other things: if you do have an infection, it's important to take your antibiotics as prescribed and finish them. I know oftentimes people start feeling better and they stop taking that antibiotic. I know I've been guilty of that, but you really need to finish that antibiotic and you need to wash your hands. And if you do have an infection, so you are diagnosed with, let's say, a pneumonia or a bronchitis, if the infection does not improve and you feel like your symptoms are getting worse, very, very important to seek out medical attention immediately.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay. Immediate steps - you kind of listed them - are there any other steps people should take?

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: I think the most important thing is if you start displaying some of these symptoms, it's important to recognize that sepsis progresses very, very quickly, and mortality from sepsis - mortality being death from sepsis - can increase 8% for every hour that treatment's delayed. So I know a lot of young people think, "Oh, I just have a flu, you know, I'll be fine," but really, really think about those symptoms and if you're getting worse, go to your ER. Bring an advocate with you. Say, "I am worried about sepsis." And then that triggers the healthcare professionals to think, "Oh, maybe this is sepsis, let's start thinking about what the treatment is," which is antibiotics immediately and fluids.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay, so it's important to get immediate treatment and that doesn't mean calling your local doctor and trying to get an appointment.

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Absolutely. If you are confused and you have fevers and chills and you're just super weak, go to the emergency room. Seek out immediate attention.

Deborah Howell (Host): Sepsis is really nothing to trifle with.

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Absolutely.

Deborah Howell (Host): Thank you so much, Jennifer, for your time today. We really do appreciate you being on the show and shining light on sepsis.

Jennifer Castro, RN, MSN: Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this diagnosis.

Deborah Howell (Host): We really appreciate it. For more information or to listen to a podcast of the show, please go to memorialcare.org. And that's all for this time. I'm Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.