Sepsis

Sepsis can cause a variety of symptoms.

Sepsis symptoms in children under 5

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

Sepsis symptoms in older children and adults

Early symptoms of sepsis may include:

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

Symptoms of severe sepsis or septic shock

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