What is sepsis?

Sepsis is an illness that can happen in response to an infection and can quickly become life-threatening. It can affect all parts of the body.

In severe cases of sepsis, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases (known as septic shock), sepsis causes the blood pressure to decrease to dangerous levels and the heart to become weaker. Once this happens, multiple organs may fail quickly and, if not corrected, the patient will die.

Sepsis is a medical emergency that can be difficult to diagnose, and to treat.