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.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Sepsis

The Development of a Sepsis Scoring System in a Murine Model

Sepsis History

Recovering from Sepsis

Sepsis Prevention

Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis in Newborns

Sepsis Epidemiology

Lactate Levels and Sepsis

Sepsis Complications and Prevention

Causes and Symptoms of Sepsis in Newborns

Sepsis: Identifying the Signs and Administering First Aid

See more featured articles »

How Antimicrobial Resistance Amplifies the Burden of Sepsis

Sepsis and Influenza

The Stages of Sepsis

Sepsis and Pregnancy

Sepsis Pathophysiology

Sepsis at the Molecular Level

Sepsis Diagnosis

Latest Sepsis News and Research

Coffee ring effect inspires breakthrough in rapid at-home tests for disease detection

Got a sore throat and the sniffles? The recent rise of rapid at-home tests has made it easier to find out if you have a serious illness like COVID-19 or just a touch of spring allergies.

8 Jul 2025

IL-6 and CRP offer limited boost for predicting infections after lung cancer surgery

Early postoperative levels of IL-6 and CRP are independently associated with infection risk after pulmonary cancer surgery. However, adding these biomarkers to standard clinical predictors provides only limited improvement in infection prediction.

25 Jun 2025

Deadly central line-associated bloodstream infections could be prevented using new e-catheter hub

Washington State University and Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an electrochemical catheter hub that could someday help prevent deadly central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) that annually kill thousands of people around the world.

25 Jun 2025

Cord blood proteins help detect early sepsis in preterm infants

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues identified several proteins from the umbilical cord blood of preterm newborns that signal acute systemic inflammation as an immune response to infection, providing objective and noninvasive means to diagnose early onset sepsis.

20 Jun 2025

Pandorabactins help pathogenic bacteria compete for iron in the lungs

An interdisciplinary research team led by the Leibniz-HKI in Jena has discovered a new group of bioactive natural compounds in pathogenic bacteria of the genus Pandoraea: pandorabactins.

19 Jun 2025

Global guideline released by WHO on managing sickle cell disease in pregnancy

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its first-ever global guideline on the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) during pregnancy, addressing a critical and growing health challenge that can have life-threatening consequences for both women and babies.

19 Jun 2025

Stanford study identifies gene signature that predicts immune health

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, information began to trickle in about who was at higher risk of a dangerous outcome from infection. Men. Those over 65. Smokers. Those with obesity.

18 Jun 2025

Solascure receives FDA Fast Track Designation for Aurase Wound Gel to treat calciphylaxis ulcers

SOLASCURE Ltd (SolasCure), a biotechnology company developing a novel treatment to transform chronic wound healing, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation for its investigational Aurase Wound Gel (AWG), in the treatment of patients with calciphylaxis ulcers.

16 Jun 2025

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