Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis In Elderly

Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis In Elderly

Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis In Elderly

Sepsis is an inflammatory body response to infection. In recent years, the incidences of sepsis have been increasing among elderly patients, which has increasingly led to admissions to intensive care units. This has been enhanced by the fact that elderly patients have various co-morbidities, functional limitations, and reduced immunity (Cheng et al.,2018). However, the clinical diagnosis of sepsis among the elderly can be challenging, and the condition may be different and more severe as compared to younger individuals. There are various symptoms and signs of sepsis in elderly patients. The symptoms include urinary incontinence, falls, malaise, anorexia, weakness, delirium, and altered mental status. However, these symptoms may also appear in cases of other non-infectious conditions among the elderly which complicates matters. However, the most common symptom is respiratory tract infections which are then followed by genitourinary infections.

Sepsis is a condition that can easily lead to death. There are various differences between sepsis and severe sepsis. Sepsis refers to a syndrome that occurs upon severe infection, which then leads to critical illness. Therefore it results when a fungal, viral, or bacterial infection leads to a substantial response from the body’s immune system hence fast breathing, fever, and high heart rate (Tan et al.,2019). On the other hand, severe sepsis happens when the infection leads to organ damage. The damage can occur to one or more organs due to the inflammatory response. Organs that can be affected include the liver, lungs, kidney, brain, and heart. The implication is that the symptoms experienced during severe sepsis may differ depending on the organ identity affected. As an example, when an individual’s lungs are damaged, various symptoms related to breathing may be seen.

References

Cheng, H. H., Chen, F. C., Change, M. W., Kung, C. T., Cheng, C. Y., Tsai, T. C., … & Su, C. M. (2018). Difference between elderly and non-elderly patients in using serum lactate level to predict mortality caused by sepsis in the emergency department. Medicine, 97(13). https://doi.org/10.1097%2FMD.0000000000010209

Tan, B., Wong, J. J. M., Sultana, R., Koh, J. C. J. W., Jit, M., Mok, Y. H., & Lee, J. H. (2019). Global case-fatality rates in pediatric severe sepsis and septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(4), 352-362. Doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.4839