Systolic blood pressure less than 100mmHg is an important sign of sepsis
Latest research from the nursing and medical journals.
Sepsis is a major cause of mortality in the UK, and takes more lives than breast and bowel cancer combined. Sometimes known as septicaemia or blood poisoning, sepsis can affect several organs without blood poisoning occurring.
The process starts with an invasion of bacteria from an area of infection. The body normally responds with inflammatory and anti-inflammatory activities, but in sepsis there is an over-reaction of the immune system. Cytokines are released to kill the bacteria, but can also attack the patient’s own cells.
Signs and symptoms of sepsis include abnormal behaviour, altered levels of consciousness, pyrexia or hypothermia, tachycardia, hyperventilation, non-blanching rash, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, and muscle pain.
An important sign is hypotension with systolic blood pressure ≤100mmHg. Patients
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