What are the most common causes of sepsis?
In this article we will describe what are the most common causes of sepsis. A bit of background first.
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of an infection. It is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires hospital admission.
Sepsis happens when an infection you already have, triggers a ‘chain reaction’ throughout your body.
So. What are the most common causes of sepsis?
Bacteria cause most cases of sepsis. But sepsis can also be a result of other infections, including viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza, or fungal infections – i.e. any infection can lead to sepsis. But here are 10 common causes of sepsis.
1. Pneumonia
Sepsis can be caused by any infection anywhere in the body. That is why pneumonia is one of the most common causes of sepsis. Pneumonia can be community or hospital-acquired.
2. Urinary tract infection (UTI)
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of the urinary tract (system). The system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra (and prostate in a man).
There are different types of UTI, with different symptoms. The doctors name for the type of infection, depends on which part of the urinary tract is affected, e.g.
- Kidney = pyelonephritis
- Bladder = cystitis
- Urethra = urethritis
- Prostate = prostatitis (men only).
UTIs affect women more than men. Symptoms range from mild to life-threatening sepsis. Luckily, in most cases, the infection can be treated with antibiotics.
Severe sepsis usually requires hospital treatment with IV fluids and antibiotics, sometimes on ICU.
3. Skin (e.g. cellulitis)
Cellulitis is a common acute bacterial skin infection that affects the deeper layers of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. It is usually spontaneous but can be secondary to skin injuries, insect bites or foreign bodies in the skin. Any break in the skin can lead to cellulitis. The most common bacteria causing cellulitis are Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.
4. Diabetes (and all autoimmune disease)
Diabetes is an autoimmune disease which causes long-term damage to the body, especially the eyes, feet and kidneys. If you have diabetes, you are prone to getting cuts and wounds that do not heal well. They may become infected, and that infection may develop into sepsis as a reaction.
Most autoimmune diseases (and cancer) make sepsis more likely; especially if the patient is being treated with immunosuppressant drugs or chemotherapy.
5. Appendicitis
The appendix is a tiny organ located in the large intestine. If the appendix becomes inflamed (appendicitis), it may burst and cause sepsis rapidly.
6. Flu and COVID-19
‘The flu’ (influenza) and now COVID-19, are two of the most common viral infections, and are extremely contagious. In unusual cases, individuals may develop sepsis as a result of the infection. If you notice your symptoms getting worse, consult a doctor to prevent severe infection.
7. Malaria
According to statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. In 2021, there more than 619,oo0 deaths from malaria, most of which were in Africa and certain tropical regions. Individuals who develop malaria are at risk of getting sepsis, which causes much of the mortality. If you are travelling to a region that has a high risk of malaria, remember to take all necessary precautions, including the use of mosquito nets and spray.
8. Meningitis
Meningitis is a serious condition that occurs when the meninges become infected and inflamed. The meninges are the layer of tissue surrounding the brain as well as the spinal cord. Bacterial, viral, and fungal meningitis are the most common types of meningitis, even though there are other causes. If meningitis is severe enough, it can cause sepsis.
9. Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is a very common condition that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. It affects people of all ages, but is particularly common in young children. Most cases in children are caused by a virus called rotavirus.
10. Other
Burns, and infected wounds and catheters (common in hospitals), are other common causes of sepsis.
Septicaemia
The term ‘blood poisoning’ is often used to describe sepsis as well as refer to any other infection of the blood, whether it be of the ‘bacteraemia’ or ‘septicaemia type’. The former means that there are bacteria in the blood, whereas the latter implies any kind of infection in the blood, including those caused by viruses. While blood poisoning is not a correct term for sepsis, any infection in the blood can cause sepsis.
However, sometimes the specific infection and source of sepsis, cannot be identified. Whatever the cause, without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Summary
We have described what are the most common causes of sepsis. We hope you understand it better now. With fast recognition and treatment, most people survive.
Other resources
This is useful patient information from NICE.
The UK Sepsis Trust is the major UK charity with a lot of good information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NdLnHbLZMU
Last Reviewed on 3 October 2023