Sepsis symptoms
Symptoms of sepsis typically begin with the patient feeling mildly unwell and is sometimes accompanied by a fever, shivers and rapid breathing. These symptoms may worsen over time and cause the patient to become dizzy and confused. Sepsis is particularly common for patients with open wounds and after surgeries. Doctors can diagnose sepsis through blood, stool or wound swab tests.
Sepsis in medical malpractice
In medicine, there is a process known as the “Sepsis Six.” This includes six steps that doctors should take if they suspect that a patient has sepsis. This list includes administering oxygen, taking blood samples, administering antibiotics and IV fluids, measuring lactic acid in the blood and monitoring hourly urine output. If performed correctly, the “Sepsis Six” could save the patient’s life.
However, many doctors overlook the symptoms of sepsis as other less serious medical conditions, such as the flu. This negligence causes sepsis to spread throughout the patient’s body and exacerbate the symptoms. If the doctor does not identify and treat sepsis early enough, the patient may go into septic shock, experience organ failure or die.
Sepsis is a serious but extremely common infection that can impact every part of the body and quickly worsen. Even though doctors see sepsis as common, the symptoms are similar to many other conditions, causing many doctors to ignore the warning signs and leading to medical malpractice cases. If you or a loved one has suffered from sepsis due to medical negligence, a medical malpractice attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation and hold the responsible doctor accountable.