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Kids Health Information

Sepsis

  • Sepsis is when your child's immune system causes widespread inflammation in response to a serious infection. Children have many infections every year and most do not cause sepsis however any infection can cause sepsis if it is severe enough.

    Symptoms and signs

    It's important to be aware of the symptoms and signs of sepsis and seek medical attention as soon as possible if you suspect your child may have sepsis. Some of the key things to watch out for include:

    • rash that does not go away with when pressed
    • fast breathing or shortness of breath
    • fast heartbeat
    • drowsiness or confusion
    • cold, clammy skin, blue or grey tint to lips and fingers
    • unexplained severe pain

    Causes

    Sepsis is usually caused by bacteria in the bloodstream. This may start as an infection such as pneumonia or appendicitis.

    Young children, particularly those less than one month of age, children with immunodeficiency, children receiving cancer chemotherapy, and children with intravenous lines/devices are at particularly high risk of developing sepsis.

    Treatment

    If your child is showing any of the symptoms and signs above, it's important to seek medical attention right away. Sepsis is a medical emergency, and early treatment improves outcomes. Sepsis is treated with antibiotics in hospital and requires close monitoring to ensure your child’s infection is responding to treatment.

    Prevention

    In addition to seeking medical attention, there are some steps you can take to help prevent sepsis from occurring in the first place. This includes making sure your child is up-to-date with their vaccinations, practising good hygiene (such as washing hands frequently), and seeking prompt medical attention for any signs of serious infection.

    Follow-up

    Some children who have had sepsis may have ongoing physical, emotional, thinking and memory challenges and need specialist follow-up.

    Key points to remember

    • sepsis is a serious condition that requires urgent medical attention
    • it is important to be aware of the symptoms and signs of sepsis so that you can act quickly to protect your child’s health.

    For more information

    References


    Common questions our doctors are asked

    How is sepsis diagnosed?
    There is no one specific test for sepsis. The diagnosis is based on a combination of symptoms, signs, and the results of tests (blood tests and sometimes other tests such as xrays).


    Developed by The Royal Children's Hospital Emergency Department. We acknowledge the input of RCH consumers and carers.

    Reviewed April 2023.

    Kids Health Info is supported by The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. To donate, visit www.rchfoundation.org.au.


Disclaimer  

This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. The authors of these consumer health information handouts have made a considerable effort to ensure the information is accurate, up to date and easy to understand. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed in these handouts. Information contained in the handouts is updated regularly and therefore you should always check you are referring to the most recent version of the handout. The onus is on you, the user, to ensure that you have downloaded the most up-to-date version of a consumer health information handout.