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

Antibiotic use predicts microbiota dysbiosis in preterm infants

Antibiotic use in preterm infants is linked to gut microbiome changes, increasing susceptibility to infections and impacting long-term health outcomes.

11 Jun 2025

Early signs of breastfeeding failures after premature birth

A study on breastfeeding after premature birth identifies key factors affecting milk composition and volume, emphasizing the need for early support for mothers.

10 Jun 2025

Statins linked to lower death rates in critically ill sepsis patients

Sepsis is when the immune system overshoots its inflammatory reaction to an infection, so strongly that the vital organs begin to shut down.

6 Jun 2025

Mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin may lead to increased drug resistance

Efforts to reduce child mortality in Africa via mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) may lead to increased drug resistance in bacteria that frequently cause pneumonia and meningitis, highlighting the need for careful monitoring, finds a new study led by UCL.

4 Jun 2025

New family of antibiotics derived from the body's own proteins

A team of scientists led by the UAB has identified a new type of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in human proteins that are capable of selectively eliminating multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly of the gram-negative type, responsible for serious hospital acquired infections.

4 Jun 2025

Yeast cells offer promising alternative for manufacturing DNase1

The protein DNase1 is one of the oldest biological agents in history: It has been on the market since 1958 and is now used, among other things, to treat cystic fibrosis.

28 May 2025

Rising antibiotic resistance threatens UTI treatment in Malawi

A growing resistance to antibiotics is complicating the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Malawi, with new research revealing that nearly half of women presenting with symptoms at a major referral hospital had infections resistant to multiple drugs.

3 May 2025

Study: One in four early cardiogenic shock patients experience worse outcomes

In one of the largest studies of early cardiogenic shock (CS) patients, where blood flow is still functioning to vital organs, researchers demonstrated that 26% experienced worse outcomes, including care escalation, CS deterioration, or in-hospital mortality.

2 May 2025

COVID-19 restrictions linked to better birth timing but worse mental health

A global review reveals that while lockdowns helped reduce early births in some regions, they also worsened maternal mental health, highlighting the need for more tailored support during future health crises.

1 May 2025

Study shows how alcohol combined with burn trauma throws the intestinal microbiome into chaos

What happens in your gut after a night of heavy drinking and a severe burn injury? According to a new study, it might involve more than just pain and discomfort.

22 Apr 2025

Existing drug shows potential to revive immune cells in sepsis patients

When the immune system does not function properly, individuals become more susceptible to infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.

18 Apr 2025

IL-6 emerges as early sepsis indicator in high risk groups

A pioneering study presented today at ESCMID Global 2025 has uncovered the potential of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a powerful diagnostic biomarker for the early detection of sepsis in high-risk patient groups, including neonates, children and pregnant women.

11 Apr 2025

Genetic test outperforms PSA and MRI in spotting deadly prostate cancer early

A UK study found that using a polygenic risk score to identify men at highest genetic risk of prostate cancer significantly improved detection of clinically important disease. This approach caught aggressive cancers that standard PSA and MRI screening would have missed.

10 Apr 2025

High fiber diet helps protect against dangerous gut infections

A study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe by Brazilian and American researchers suggests that a diet rich in soluble fiber can protect the intestine against pathogenic bacteria.

9 Apr 2025

Study reveals nursing care gaps in Black-serving hospitals

A new study – just published in Nursing Research – has uncovered concerning disparities in patient outcomes, specifically related to nursing care, within hospitals that predominantly serve Black communities.

4 Apr 2025

New thromboinflammation-on-a-chip model may revolutionize treatment of harmful blood clots

Blood clots are associated with life-threatening conditions such as sepsis, sickle cell disease, heart attack, and stroke.

3 Apr 2025

Study exposes huge levels untargeted antibiotic prescribing

Doctors are prescribing antibiotics for tens of thousands of patients with infections, with little or no consideration of prognosis and the risk of the infection worsening, according to a new study led by University of Manchester epidemiologists.

3 Apr 2025

New AI system enhances nurse-driven patient monitoring and saves lives

An AI tool that analyzes nurses' data and notes detected when patients in the hospital were deteriorating nearly two days earlier than traditional methods and reduced the risk of death by over 35%, found a year-long clinical trial of more than 60,000 patients led by researchers at Columbia University.

2 Apr 2025