Getting sepsis while in a hospital can have serious consequences. If it develops into severe sepsis, you have about a one in three chance of dying. If you survive, there is a high chance you will suffer long-term consequences.
What is sepsis?
When you get an infection, your body’s immune system goes into action to fight it. Sometimes, the immune system attacks the body instead. It can cause organ failure, tissue damage or death. Medics use the mnemonic TIME to remember the signs of sepsis:
- Temperature: A significant rise or fall in temperature
- Infection: Any infection should be a warning sign to watch out for sepsis
- Mental Decline: This is especially common among older people. They may become drowsy or confused
- Extremely ill: When asked afterward, many who survive sepsis say it was the worst they ever felt.
Sepsis is a true medical emergency and should be treated as such by every medical professional.
Why does sepsis occur?
Sepsis occurs as the result of an infection. It could come about due to negligence on the part of hospital staff such as:
- Failure to clean a wound properly
- Failure to maintain adequate hygiene in the hospital
- Failure to spot and treat infection soon enough
- Failure to monitor the patient
While not every case of sepsis can be prevented, many could be avoided with better care.
What is Post-Sepsis Syndrome?
Post-Sepsis Syndrome (PSS) refers to the long term psychological and physical symptoms experienced by half of all sepsis survivors. These include:
- Disabling pain in the joints or muscles
- Bad dreams and hallucination
- Concentration problems
- Cognitive problems
- Sleep issues
- Panic attacks
- Depression
If you believe your sepsis originated due to medical negligence, seek legal advice. You may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim. Aside from the trauma caused by the initial sepsis, you could be facing severe long term consequences.