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The Signs, Symptoms, and Causes of Sepsis

By: Catherine Roberts on Monday, January 12th

Sepsis is a general term to used to characterize an immune system response to an infection. This means that a viral, fungal, or bacterial infection of the lungs (pneumonia), kidneys, bloodstream (bacteriemia), or abdomen can lead to sepsis. This potentially life-threatening condition is considered a medical emergency.

Here are the three stages of sepsis as well as the accompanying symptoms at each stage…

1. What is Sepsis?

We’ve already established that sepsis is a type of immune response to infection, which can result from bacteria, fungal, or viral sources. However, doctors view sepsis as a type of infection that occurs in three stages.

Sepsis is the mildest stage of the infection. Progression to severe sepsis occurs in the second stage. And, finally, septic shock occurs in the final stage. The best scenario is to treat sepsis during the first, mildest stage.

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