In medicine, we get the most bang for our buck when we catch serious illnesses early. Much has been written about stroke care, for instance. As you probably recall from this column, or from public service announcements and advertisements, the most effective stroke treatment occurs in the first three to four and a half hours. I suspect that in the future we may be able to save an injured brain well beyond that time frame.

Now, however, I need to remind you of another issue that physicians and hospital staff are working diligently to treat, and which also requires timely attention. You may have heard the word “sepsis.” Sepsis is a constellation of medical issues that occur when an infection spreads through the body and causes problems far beyond the organ where the infection began. In the old days, people often talked about “blood poisoning,” and we might say that this is a modern way to consider that somewhat inaccurate term.

While it can happen in any age group or to either sex, it happens more often in infants and the elderly — groups whose immune systems are less than optimal. It may also occur in any age to those who have other reasons for poor immunity. Those at risk for sepsis include people with significant illnesses such as poorly controlled diabetes, AIDS, heart disease, kidney failure or cancer. Also at risk of sepsis are those who take drugs that suppress their immunity. This typically means cancer chemotherapy agents or “biological drugs” used for ulcerative colitis, eczema or rheumatoid arthritis.

The patient with sepsis may develop fever (or low temperature), confusion, and cool, dusky colored skin. He or she may have a very rapid heart rate and breathing, and an abnormally low blood pressure. Decreased urine output and abdominal pain may also occur. Laboratory tests may show a high white blood cell count, or a low one. There are other chemical markers physicians and nurses use as well, including cultures of blood, urine or sputum.

Sepsis might begin as a pneumonia, a wound or urinary tract infection. Then, over a fairly short period of time, the bacteria (or, sometimes, virus or fungus) begins to spread. When this happens, a chemical and immune cascade starts, and tissues all over the body receive less oxygen and nutrients. Those organs then stop functioning normally. Poor organ function causes the symptoms listed above and ultimately can cause septic shock, which really means poor blood flow to the organs. Untreated, this all too often leads to death.

Treatment of sepsis requires early recognition of the problem, early administration of IV fluids and early antibiotics.

As we enter cold, flu and pneumonia season, pay attention — to yourself and to your loved ones. Sepsis is dangerous but manageable if we get, and give, timely treatment.

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