Always Take Good Care of Yourself A Sepsis Q&A

Joan Nagelkirk, MD, SFHM, FACP, is a hospitalist who has been with Trinity Health Muskegon for 29 years. She is the local champion for the Surviving Sepsis campaign, a national group of experts disseminating best practices for fighting sepsis. Dr. Nagelkirk is Board-certified in Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in Geriatric Medicine.

Q. What is sepsis?

Dr. Nagelkirk: Sepsis, a life-threatening medical emergency, is the body’s extreme response to an infection. Infections often beginning in the lungs, urinary tract, skin or gastrointestinal tract turn into sepsis by triggering a chain reaction throughout your body. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

Q. Can I prevent sepsis?

Dr. Nagelkirk: The best way to prevent sepsis is to take steps to keep yourself healthy by preventing infections. If you have a chronic condition, like diabetes or kidney disease, be sure to manage those conditions well. Maintain a relationship with your health care provider and reach out to them as soon as you notice a change in your health – you know your body the best!

Another way to stay ahead of sepsis is to remain current on recommended vaccines. It’s important to note, there is no vaccine for sepsis. Vaccines can help limit your infections, which will decrease your chances of acquiring sepsis.

Lastly, wash your hands often and keep wounds clean until they are healed.

Q. What should I do if I think I have sepsis?

Dr. Nagelkirk: If you have an infection that isn’t getting better or is getting worse, contact your health care provider right away. Not every infection will turn into sepsis; but all infections should be monitored closely. Sepsis is a medical emergency; you must act fast.

Q. What could I expect while recovering from sepsis expect?

Dr. Nagelkirk: Sepsis can affect you physically, mentally and emotionally. Rehabilitation will begin in the hospital, helping you become stronger at moving around and taking care of yourself. Once you return home, you may still experience fatigue, generalized body pains, and difficulty sleeping and will need to steadily increase your activity.

Sepsis can impact you mentally and emotionally, too. You could experience loss of focus, short term memory problems, depression, anxiety and flashbacks (bad memories). These should gradually subside but discuss them with your health care provider if they persist.

People who survive sepsis are at a higher risk of getting it again. Always take good care of yourself!

If you have health concerns, talk to your primary care provider. Find a provider near you.