Sepsis

Early identification of symptoms and timely establishment of appropriate clinical management are critical elements to reducing the risk and impact of sepsis. The detection of some biomarkers, such as C reactive protein and procalcitonin, can be effective in diagnosing the condition.

After early recognition, diagnostics to help identify a causal pathogen of infection leading to sepsis are important to guide targeted antimicrobial treatment. The appropriate antimicrobial therapy (for example, antibiotics and antifungals) should be given within one hour of sepsis identification.

Sepsis is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention to prevent further complications or death. It may present different warning signs and symptoms at times, some of which may cause misidentification with other conditions. A septic infection may cause a fever, but may also cause low body temperature, cold extremities and shivering. There may be difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, as well as an increased heart rate, or conversely a weak pulse and low blood pressure.

Sepsis is a life-threatening syndromic response to infection and frequently a final common pathway to death for many infectious diseases worldwide. It involves organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection and if