Sepsis

Phone 999 immediately or go to A&E if: You or someone else has symptoms like: loss of consciousness severe breathlessness a high temperature (fever) or low body temperature a change in mental state – like confusion or disorientation slurred speech cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin a fast heartbeat fast breathing chills and shivering severe muscle pain feeling dizzy or faint nausea and vomiting diarrhoea

Symptoms

Sepsis can cause a variety of symptoms.


Temperature

over 38C (babies under 3 months) over 39C (babies aged 3 to 6 months) below 36C – check 3 times in a 10-minute period a high temperature in a child who can’t be encouraged to show interest in anything

Breathing

difficulty breathing – this looks like hard work grunting with every breath struggling to speak more than a few words at once (for older children who normally talk) breathing that obviously “pauses”

Eating and drinking

no interest in feeding (child under 1 month) not drinking for more than 8 hours (when awake) black, green or bloody vomit

Body

a soft spot on a baby’s head that bulges “sunken” eyes a baby that’s floppy a child that can’t be encouraged to show interest in anything weak, whining or continuous crying in a younger child confusion in an older child irritableness unresponsive stiffness in the neck, especially when trying to look up or down not had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours

Go to A&E or call 999 if your child: is very lethargic or difficult to wake feels abnormally cold to touch is breathing very fast has a rash that does not fade when you press it has a fit or convulsion

Trust your instincts and phone 111 if your child’s symptoms are getting worse or they are sicker than you’d expect (even if their temperature falls).


Early symptoms of sepsis may include:

a high temperature (fever) or low body temperature chills and shivering a fast heartbeat fast breathing


In some cases, symptoms of more severe sepsis or septic shock (when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level) develop.

These can include:

feeling dizzy or faint a change in mental state – like confusion or disorientation diarrhoea nausea and vomiting slurred speech severe muscle pain severe breathlessness less urine production than normal – for example, not urinating for a day cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin loss of consciousness

Phone 999 or go to A&E if: you’ve recently had an infection or injury and you have possible signs of sepsis you think you or someone in your care has severe sepsis or septic shock Don’t be afraid to ask the healthcare professional ‘is this sepsis?’.