Sepsis

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition, in which your immune system's reaction to an infection may injure body tissues far from the original infection.

As sepsis progresses, it begins to affect organ function and eventually can lead to septic shock — a sometimes fatal drop in blood pressure.

People who are most at risk of developing sepsis include:

• The very young and the very old
• Individuals with compromised immune systems
• Very sick people in the hospital
• Those who have invasive devices, such as urinary catheters or breathing tubes

Early treatment, usually with large amounts of intravenous fluids and antibiotics, improves chances for survival.

To read more about sepsis, click here.