Sepsis is a whole-body
inflammatory response to an
infection. Common signs and symptoms include
fever,
increased heart rate,
increased breathing rate, and
confusion. There may also be symptoms related to a specific infection, such as a cough with
pneumonia, or
painful urination with a
kidney infection. In the very young, old, and people with a
weakened immune system, there may be no symptoms of a specific infection and the
body temperature may be low or normal rather than
high.
Severe sepsis is sepsis causing
poor organ function or insufficient blood flow. Insufficient blood flow may be evident by
low blood pressure, high
blood lactate, or
low urine output.
Septic shock is low blood pressure due to sepsis that does not improve after reasonable amounts of intravenous fluids are given.