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August 14, 2018  |  By Beth Sager In Life Expectancy, Senior Care Advice

Post Sepsis Recovery: The After Effects of Sepsis

Nurse comforting senior woman in hospital bed

After your surgery is over, you might think the worst is behind you, and hopefully it is. Unfortunately, another issue might pop up: sepsis. This can, at times, be worse than the reason you had surgery in the first place, so it’s important to understand what it is and what to expect if you fall victim to it.

What Is Sepsis?

When you have surgery, you’re at risk for infection. Sepsis is a complication stemming from an infection. Chemicals that are released into your bloodstream to fight your infection then cause an inflammatory response throughout your body. This can then lead to damage in your organs and finally organ failure.

Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis in Elderly

There are actually 3 stages of sepsis. They include sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock.

In the first stage, there are several sepsis symptoms in adults that you should be on the lookout for. These include a heart rate over 90 beats per minute, a temperature above 101 degrees, and quick breathing. It’s especially important to watch for these signs of sepsis after surgery.

In stage 2, you might also notice abdominal pain, difficulty in breathing, and a severely decreased need to urinate.

Finally, in stage 3, clinical indicators for sepsis include the symptoms of stage two as well as very low blood pressure that can’t be corrected with fluid replacement.

Can You Recover from Sepsis?

Like many things, early detection is important when it comes to sepsis recovery. In the first stage, you have a 15% to 30% chance of death while in the most severe stage you have a 40% to 60% chance of death. In most cases you will need to be hospitalized for post-sepsis recovery, as it can quickly lead to organ failure and even death. It’s critical to get treatment immediately, as studies have shown that the mortality rate increases 7% per hour if antibiotics are delayed when dealing with severe sepsis.

The sepsis recovery time will vary depending on the treatment needed to battle the sepsis. If antibiotics are all that is required, recovery time can be pretty quick, but if surgery is necessary or even an organ transplant, then you can expect a much longer recovery.

After Effects of Sepsis

What comes after sepsis really depends on the stage of sepsis you are dealing with. Stage 1 will have very few after effects, while stage 3 could mean losing limbs or organ failure such as kidney failure. Other effects can be memory loss and even additional hospitalization due to recurrent sepsis.

In fact, 1 in 3 sepsis patients end up back in the hospital within 3 months due to a new infection or another outbreak of sepsis.

If you or a loved one has recently had surgery, it’s a good idea to keep a close watch for sepsis symptoms and to contact your primary care physician or even go to the emergency room as soon as possible. Every moment you delay could cause additional damage and serious complications.

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Founded in 2006, CaringTimes is a resource center for those seeking home care information and support as they care for elderly parents and research senior in-home care options. Our mission is to celebrate, educate, and advocate aging issues. We highlight available resources and share our expertise during a very difficult and challenging time in many adults’ lives.

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The CaringTimes blog pro­vides gen­eral infor­ma­tion and dis­cus­sion to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge about various health-related topics. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and linked materials within this blog are not intended and should not be interpreted as med­ical advice. If the reader or any other per­son has a med­ical con­cern, he or she should con­sult with a licensed physi­cian or other qualified health care provider. Never forgo pro­fes­sional med­ical advice or delay in seek­ing medical attention because of some­thing you have read on this blog or in any of the linked materials. If you think you may have a med­ical emer­gency, call your doc­tor immediately.
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