Symptoms of Sepsis

How does sepsis make itself known? While it’s doing its destruction on the inside of the body it’s showing some signs on the outside that need to be recognized and dealt with quickly. Of course not all people will show all symptoms but a combination of several should be addressed.

In this list I’ll put the symptoms I experienced in bold letters.

Rash - this is more common in children

Clammy skin

Weakness

Fast heartbeat

Low blood pressure-systolic less than 100

Fever or hypothermia- low body temperature 

Shaking or chills 

Shortness of breath 

Reduced urination

Confusion or agitation 

Slurred speech

Extreme muscle pain

Of course some of these are the “flu like symptoms” we always hear about but combined with a possible infection from any source, sepsis can be already setting in and the damage to the organs can be permanent or even fatal.

This was my diagnosis in alphabetical order:

Ehrlichiosis chafeensis

Severe sepsis

Acute posthemorrhagic anemia

Acute kidney failure 

Acute metabolic acidosis

Acute viral hepatitis

Disseminated intravascular coagulation 

Dysphagia oropharyngeal phase

Encephalitis and encephalomyelitis

Hepatic encephalopathy 

Hepatic failure 

Migraine 

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Pneumonia 

Pure hypercholesterolemia

Thrombocytopenia

Toxic encephalopathy 

Unspecified convulsions 

Sepsis affects the whole body, the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, 

liver, thyroid and of course the blood. And sepsis moves fast. I came within 90 minutes of dying. This isn’t something with which you want to take a wait and see position. If someone has a combination of symptoms and a possible infection, get them to a hospital as fast as possible.

Sepsis isn’t to be taken lightly.