Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening illness. Your body's response to a bacterial infection usually causes it. Your immune system goes into overdrive, overwhelming normal processes in your blood. The result is that small blood clots form, blocking blood flow to vital organs. This can lead to organ failure. Babies, old people and those with weakened immune systems are most likely to get sepsis. But even healthy people can become deathly ill from it.

Everything You Need To Know About Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic response to an infection. This article provides an overview of sepsis, including stages, diagnosis and treatment.

Sepsis Diagnosis

Causes and Symptoms of Sepsis in Newborns

Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis in Newborns

Sepsis Prevention

Recovering from Sepsis

Sepsis Epidemiology

Sepsis Pathophysiology

Sepsis at the Molecular Level

Sepsis and Pregnancy

Sepsis: Identifying the Signs and Administering First Aid

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Sepsis

See more featured articles »

Sepsis Complications and Prevention

The Stages of Sepsis

How Antimicrobial Resistance Amplifies the Burden of Sepsis

Lactate Levels and Sepsis

Sepsis and Influenza

Sepsis History

The Development of a Sepsis Scoring System in a Murine Model

Latest Sepsis News and Research

Researchers develop cutting-edge smart bandages for improved wound healing

Chronic wounds, which include diabetic ulcers, surgical wounds, pressure injuries, and other problems, are deadlier than many people realize.

17 Jun 2024

MEK inhibitor trametinib shows potential in pediatric JMML treatment

The MEK inhibitor trametinib (Mekinist) was an effective treatment for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) enrolled in a phase II clinical trial, with seven of 10 patients alive after a median of two years.

13 Jun 2024

Changing antibiotic delivery method improves sepsis outcomes globally

Changing the way antibiotics are given to adult patients with sepsis will save thousands of lives a year globally, according to research by The University of Queensland and The George Institute for Global Health.

12 Jun 2024

Nasal microbiota composition predicts sepsis with high accuracy in ICU settings

The nasal microbiota of intensive care unit (ICU) patients effectively distinguishes sepsis from non-septic cases and outperforms analyzing the gut microbiota to predict sepsis, according to a new study published in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

12 Jun 2024

Precision medicine in sepsis care: Identifying and treating the PHES subgroup in children

Sepsis – the leading cause of mortality in children around the world – can present with a wide range of signs and symptoms, making a one-size-fits-all treatment strategy ineffective.

11 Jun 2024

Novel insights into the underlying, contributing, and direct causes of death in Australia

Coronary heart disease (CHD) was involved in 1 in 5 deaths in 2022 when using all of the information included on the medical death certificate, according to a new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) release revealing what Australians are most likely to die from.

8 Jun 2024

Salk researchers unveil SWI/SNF variants' role in macrophage immune responses

Bacteria, parasites, viruses-;the immune system tackles them all. At the front line of the human immune response are cells called macrophages, which are responsible for correctly identifying intruders and then directing how the entire immune system responds.

5 Jun 2024

Study challenges use of in-hospital mortality as sepsis quality metric for safety-net hospitals

Sepsis is a leading cause of death and disability and a key target of state and federal quality measures for hospitals.

31 May 2024

Notre Dame study identifies high-risk population for CAUTIs due to fibrinolytic deficiencies

Urinary catheters are required for nearly every surgical procedure. However, a major challenge for the health care industry is predicting who may develop catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and when these infections may lead to death.

30 May 2024

New antibiotic lolamicin shows promise in fighting drug-resistant infections

Researchers have developed a new antibiotic that reduced or eliminated drug-resistant bacterial infections in mouse models of acute pneumonia and sepsis while sparing healthy microbes in the mouse gut.

29 May 2024

UMSOM receives $3.96 million grant for maternal vaccine against neonatal sepsis

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) have been awarded $3.96 million to develop a maternal vaccine that prevents sepsis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in newborns and infants.

23 May 2024

Labor epidurals linked to lower risk of severe maternal morbidity

Having an epidural during labor is associated with a marked reduction in serious complications in the first few weeks after giving birth, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

22 May 2024

Hospital diversity linked to higher mortality rates for ventilated patients

The odds of death for patients receiving mechanical ventilation for pneumonia or sepsis increase along with the diversity of hospitals' patient populations, suggesting more systemic factors such as lack of resources and income levels may be to blame, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference.

20 May 2024

Acetaminophen shows potential in preventing acute respiratory distress syndrome, organ injury in sepsis patients

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported clinical trial has found that intravenous acetaminophen reduced sepsis patients' risk of having organ injury or developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, a serious condition that allows fluid to leak into the lungs.

20 May 2024