Preventing sepsis: what you should know

Sepsis is a dangerous reaction to an infection that can affect the whole body. It may follow infections in the lungs, urinary system or skin, including pneumonia, a urinary tract infection or cellulitis. Hand hygiene, clean wound care and recommended vaccinations help lower exposure to infection. People with long-term illnesses or weakened immunity should ask their clinician how to manage infections early.

An infection does not always look dramatic at first. Watch how someone is changing overall, including new confusion, marked weakness, fast breathing, or feeling much worse than expected.

Wash hands regularly, keep cuts clean and covered, and avoid sharing items that contact saliva or respiratory secretions. Follow prescribed treatment directions and complete antibiotic courses when a clinician has prescribed them. Do not use leftover antibiotics or delay assessment because symptoms seem mild. Record a new fever or other change so you can describe its timing clearly.

If you are caring for someone with an infection, offer fluids when they can safely drink, check on them regularly, and arrange medical advice if they are deteriorating. Prevention lowers risk but cannot rule sepsis out.

Seek urgent medical help for a person with an infection who becomes confused, unusually drowsy, severely breathless, faint, clammy, or rapidly worse. Fever, chills, feeling generally unwell or generalised weakness can occur with many illnesses; urgency depends on the whole picture and the speed of change. Do not wait for every warning sign to appear.

Ask which symptoms should trigger same-day advice, how to care for a wound, and whether your existing conditions or medicines alter your infection plan. Ask when a temperature change or worsening weakness should be reassessed.