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 at the Molecular Level

Sepsis Complications and Prevention

Sepsis History

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Sepsis

Sepsis and Pregnancy

Sepsis Prevention

Recovering from Sepsis

Sepsis Diagnosis

Sepsis Epidemiology

Sepsis: Identifying the Signs and Administering First Aid

How Antimicrobial Resistance Amplifies the Burden of Sepsis

See more featured articles »

Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis in Newborns

Causes and Symptoms of Sepsis in Newborns

Sepsis and Influenza

The Stages of Sepsis

Lactate Levels and Sepsis

Sepsis Pathophysiology

The Development of a Sepsis Scoring System in a Murine Model

Latest Sepsis News and Research

Potential breakthrough in treating acute kidney injury with ceramide-targeting drugs

Serious damage to short-term kidney function-known as acute kidney injury, or AKI-can be fatal and also increase the risk of irreversible chronic kidney disease. It can be triggered by stressors ranging from sepsis to heart surgery, and it affects more than half of ICU patients.

12 Nov 2025

Earlier blood transfusion reduces heart complications post-surgery in high-risk patients

An earlier blood transfusion- done when hemoglobin levels were higher - after major general or vascular surgery among people with heart disease was associated with a lower risk of some complications but not the most severe ones, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025.

11 Nov 2025

Weaning hospitalized patients from dialysis may restore kidney function

Weaning patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) from dialysis while they are still hospitalized may save them from remaining on the treatment for the rest of their lives, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco.

7 Nov 2025

Evolving epidemiology of invasive Group A Streptococcus in critical care

Streptococcus pyogenes or invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) is a major clinical concern around the world, since iGAS infections can quickly escalate into life-threatening conditions such as necrotizing fasciitis, septic shock, and pneumonia.

6 Nov 2025

GLP-1 drugs calm inflammation beyond diabetes and weight loss

This Journal of Clinical Investigation review describes how glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)–based medicines reduce systemic and tissue inflammation through both weight-dependent and weight-independent mechanisms. It details preclinical and clinical evidence linking GLP-1 receptor activation to cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neural, and joint anti-inflammatory effects while outlining uncertainties and future research needs.

4 Nov 2025

Novel vaccine strategy could solve the challenge of implanted device infections

Patients with implanted medical devices like orthopedic joint replacements, pacemakers, and artificial heart valves run a small but significant risk that these devices get infected with bacterial pathogens.

4 Nov 2025

Understanding how biological sex and gender inequities contribute to suboptimal sepsis treatment

Sepsis continues to be a leading cause of mortality in ICUs worldwide. Despite advances in early detection and treatment, standardized antibiotic dosing frequently ignores patient-level variability-especially that associated with sex-related physiology and gender-influenced care disparities.

31 Oct 2025

Understanding the role of m6A methylation in acute lung injury pathogenesis

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a critical clinical condition characterized by diffuse inflammation of the lung parenchyma and intractable hypoxemia, typically caused by factors, such as trauma, pneumonia, shock, and sepsis.

30 Oct 2025

E. coli in retail meat linked to thousands of urinary infections

Research reveals a significant link between E. coli in meat and urinary tract infections, particularly in vulnerable communities in Southern California.

28 Oct 2025

Leveraging the microbiome to promote healthy living and aging

From probiotic pills to skincare products to dedicated meal plans, the microbiome is all the rage in the health and wellness space.

21 Oct 2025

New AI system connects hidden clues in medical records to transform diagnosis

Doctors often must make critical decisions in minutes, relying on incomplete information. While electronic health records contain vast amounts of patient data, much of it remains difficult to interpret quickly-especially for patients with rare diseases or unusual symptoms.

15 Oct 2025

New wearable sensor tracks vitamin B6 levels in sweat

Vitamin B6, which is absorbed from a broad range of foods, helps bolster immune system function and neurotransmitters in the brain.

14 Oct 2025

Global antibiotic resistance reaches alarming levels in 2023

One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common infections in people worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report launched today.

14 Oct 2025

Study validates AI models for preemptive sepsis care in pediatrics

Sepsis, or infection causing life-threatening organ dysfunction, is a leading cause of death in children worldwide. In efforts to prevent this rare but critical condition, researchers developed and validated AI models that accurately identify children at high risk for sepsis within 48 hours, so that early preemptive care can be provided.

13 Oct 2025

Understanding the impact of chikungunya on children

Chikungunya is a vector-borne disease that affects both adults and children. While global efforts are ongoing to tackle chikungunya in adults, progress in addressing pediatric chikungunya remains inadequate.

10 Oct 2025

Decoding the signaling networks and metabolic dysregulation underlying sepsis

Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by dysregulated immune responses, systemic inflammation, and multi-organ dysfunction.

10 Oct 2025

X-HiDE project advances toward earlier detection and precision treatment of inflammatory diseases

Facilitating earlier diagnosis and more precise treatment for patients with inflammatory diseases. This is the goal as the X-HiDE research project at örebro University in Sweden now enters its next phase, in collaboration with eleven companies and four other universities in Europe and the USA.

8 Oct 2025

State-of-the-art microchips help understand how sepsis and neurodegenerative diseases damage the brain

In lieu of animal experiments, researchers from the University of Rochester are using state-of-the-art microchips with human tissue to better understand how the brain operates under healthy conditions and is damaged through neurodegenerative diseases or conditions like sepsis.

7 Oct 2025

New immune system assessment tool could help guide critical care treatment

When a patient enters the emergency department in critical condition, doctors must quickly run through a crucial list of questions: Does the patient have an infection? If so, is it bacterial or viral? Do they require treatment? Can the patient recover at home safely or do they need to be hospitalized?

30 Sep 2025

Doctors with troubled pasts are performing cosmetic surgeries tied to crippling pain and injury

Not long after California surgeon Andrew S. Hsu landed a job with a cosmetic surgery chain in Georgia, several of his patients suffered disfiguring injuries, and even his new employer had doubts about his competence, court records allege.

30 Sep 2025