Almost any type of infection can lead to sepsis. However, early recognition of sepsis symptoms can save lives and reduce the risk of long-term effects. These symptoms can be similar in elderly patients. Sweating or clammy skin. Additionally, early symptoms of sepsis, such as confusion or weakness, often are vague and can even appear nearly normal in an elderly patient, preventing the connection to … It is a life-threatening medical emergency. In addition, the duration of symptoms was more than twice as long. Low blood pressure. Several symptoms indicate severe sepsis, including difficulty breathing, abnormal heart function, abdominal pain, reduced platelet count, decreased urination, a rash or patches of discolored skin, chills due to a lowered body temperature, extreme weakness, unconsciousness, and sudden changes in mental state such as confusion or delirium. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Cooper et al. Urinary tract infection is the most common cause of sepsis in the elderly and responds best to antibiotic therapy. Abnormal WBC count. It was the worst sore throat, worst abdominal pain, or they felt that they were going to die. Sepsis in elderly symptoms. Confusion and … Diarrhea. Older adults, especially those with chronic health conditions like heart disease, and various types of cancer, are more likely to succumb to sepsis. Once sepsis is recognized, its source must be identified. Other studies have shown the existence of a fever can be blunted up to 47% or non-existent in older adults during the early onset of sepsis. Fatigue or weakness. Symptoms of a UTI in older adults may include restlessness, agitation, … Dizziness. Severe pain. Blotchy or discolored skin. Elderly patients with intra-abdominal sepsis present to physicians with less acute and delayed symptoms, compared with younger patients. Nausea and vomiting. Sepsis Symptoms in Elderly. [ 3] found that elderly patients present with nausea, vomiting, and fever approximately one-half as often as do younger patients. The symptoms of each stage of sepsis are as follows: Stage One, Sepsis – The symptoms include a fever either above 101.3 degrees or a temperature below 95 degrees, a rapid heart rate that is over 90 beats per minute, and a rapid respiration rate of more than 20 breaths per minute. Chills. Fever and chills. In older adults non-specific signs of sepsis can be masked by common ailments affecting older adults. The subtlety of sepsis symptoms requires physicians to pay close attention to a patient’s vital signs to detect their presence. Many sepsis survivors have said that when they were ill, it was the worst they ever felt. Symptoms, such as altered mental states, delirium, weakness, anorexia, falls, and urinary incontinence. Rapid heart rate. Breathing difficulty. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Fast heartbeat. 60% of patients in the United States who develop severe sepsis are older adults (age 65 and over) [1], and the mortality of severe sepsis increases steadily with age to nearly 40% in those over 85 [2]. However, often the early symptoms are absent. Very low body temperature. Sepsis Symptoms. There are many factors that make older adults more susceptible to sepsis, and that can also make sepsis more difficult to detect. Peeing less than usual. Skin rash. Watch this short video to learn more. Weakness. Joint pain. For example, typical findings of sepsis (mental obtundation, tachycardia, and fever) may be absent in an elderly patient; the only clue may be the patient's failure to eat. Children developing sepsis may exhibit different symptoms, as seen below. Instead an elderly patient progresses straight to a severe presentation, with the first symptoms to arise being: Chills and shivering. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. 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