ITS SEPSIS, NOT FLU....HOW TO TELL.

Sepsis kills 37,000 people in the UK every year, and many more worldwide, yet it can be difficult to differentiate from viral flu infections in the early stages. This film explains how you can spot the difference and when to call a doctor or go to hospital. If in doubt, seek medical advice. The symptoms of SEPSIS can be described like this:

Severe shortness of breath
Extremely cold hands or feet
Palpitations or racing heart
Slurred speech
I've never felt so bad
Shivering uncontrollably

If you are concerned, call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or go directly to A&E.

[svarithehyena]

i had sepsis. mine moved very quick. i had the flu A, it turned into necrotizing pneumonia, kidney failure, lung failure and almost congestive heart failure. this was 6 months ago. everything escalated within first flu symptoms. within 24 hours it was necessary to put me in a medically induced coma. i was in that for 15 days. in the end all my organs came back, but i lost my left leg below the knee and my right foots toes....

I was not immunocompromised or anything, it just hit hard. i am lucky to be alive....

[emmaleechase]

One of the symptoms of sepsis is a person “feeling like they might die”.

[ForBidNChocolate]

I've been researching about sepsis. I work in the ED and almost everyday we get someone with Sepsis. I just want a better understanding. Thank you for the video.

[kjargan]

My dad died of Sepsis 15 days back. He was 90. He was complaining of fever and breathlessness on a Saturday and died 4 days after. The Death certificate mentioned Sepsis as one of the causes for death. Sad, that I did not know about this.

[kittenrabbitpuppydogcowfun]

I'm lucky i'm still here. I remember one day I caught sepsis, and I thought to myself that there was no hope. That I was just die, and it was no use.

I was wrong. I'm still happy, and i'm thankful i am still here.

[V-Smith]

I too had sepsis. A year ago, I was feeling sick. I went to the hospital and the doctor said I had a kidney infection. I went home and took my antibiotics. After a few days I felt better so I stupidly stopped the antibiotics.

A couple days later I was violently ill. Slept on the couch for a couple days. Just shivering constantly. I had heart palpitations as well. My friend came home and put me to bed. That night I had to army crawl to the bathroom. I was so out of it, that it didn't even strike me as odd when my legs no longer worked.

I just remember taking a lot of hot baths because of the chills and body aches. My friend came home the next day and picked me up and threw me into the car. I remember nothing after that.

Next thing I know I woke up in a hospital, they told me they needed to Intubate me. Then, lights out. Next thing I know, I'm in a different hospital. I was airlifted there they told me. I was on life support, kidney dialysis, and had all sorts of tubes and wires on and in me.

I was in and out of consciousness, and when I woke a couple weeks later, the doctors told me I was airlifted again, to a hospital 300 miles away.

I was put into a medically induced coma. I awoke 5 weeks later. When I woke up, I no longer had a tube in my mouth, but instead it was inserted into a tracheotostomy. I couldn't talk, or walk, or eat, or even write.

After relearning to do all the above, and several weeks of rehabilitation, I was released.

All in all, I had complete septic shock, multi-system organ failure, respiratory failure, heart failure, pneumonia and endocarditis (infection of the heart).

Sepsis is no joke! Glad to be alive!

[teresacollins]

i lived thru sepsis, and i am glad to be alive now

[zmihggp]

I survived sepsis. Told I had an hour window before death. Spent 10 days intensive care and then many days in the hospital. RESULTS included heart issues, kidney shutdown and gall bladder surgery. I owe my life to our local hospital which zcted quickly to get me life saving help at a larger hospital.

[CHRISISPK]

this video is 100% true all the symptoms hes saying you might get are right. i had this 1year ago and im very lucky to of suvivied it. i thank my family who found me in a bad state in my bedroom doing stuff and saying stuff that i normaly wouldnt say, they say i was pointing to the floor saying my trowsers are there when infact they are not this is how they knew something was wrong. i would also like to thank the middlesbrough south tees hospital for helping me get through this sepsis without them i would not be here today. all i can remember that night when my brother found me was i was watching a movie and after that i went to bed. when i woke up i was in hospital with needles and my family crying at my side. i do not recall my brother finding me or my treatment up to me waking up 2 days later... all i recall is the movie.and then going to bed. if you find anyone with these symptoms get them help fast.

[paulk]

our child just had sepsis, first doctor missed it, then the next day he was fine picking new toys one minute, 20 minutes later in the back of the car shaking, taking strange and lips turning blue holding breath, we took him straight to hospital, initial temp 40.4, then 40.9 before it came down, nearly sent home untill we reitirated hed held his breath for around 5 seconds at a time while lips went blue, luckily further tests were done and we were transferd to another hospital where a doctor did a more thorough examination and noticed tiny pinhead sized none blanching pin prick spots on his back(non fading) and straight away put him on antibiotics through a canula, were so gratefull that happend as he wouldnt be here right now, after blood culchers it turned out it was likely to be blue cheese that wed let him taste a few days earlier, please be carefull

[pancholopez]

Went to the ER Feb 8 they said my wife had the flu. Send us back home . Next morning my wife started getting all of this symptoms. Call 911. Got there an hour later they told me my wife was going to die. And she did. 😔💔 now I'm left on this world only with my two kids, 2y 6y my wife was only 27. Everything happened so fast. Feb 9 Feb 16 2018. RIP MY LOVE. I will see you up in heaven one day. ❤Kaboom_kaboom ❤

[robincarle-schindel]

I had sepsis in 2014 and again in 2022, following a double mastectomy. It started creeping in about 6 days post op. For three weeks I begged 3 different doctors, 2 of them surgeons, to test my blood for bacterial infection. I had gone to my plastic surgeon for my weekly saline injection into my chest expander, the morning of my crisis. Again, I asked for testing. He ridiculed me about "wanting to be him." That night I awoke around 12 am with a fever of 102.8 F, low pulse o2, confusion, and severe uncontrollable vomiting. By 3am, I was in the ER on enough vancomycin to kill a bull elephant. Six days in hospital and months of recovery. I wrote complaints and ethics violation complaints, but all that happened was that the hospital started altering records of communication that I had with doctors leading up to my crisis. I wanted to sue, but couldn't find an attorney interested in an "infection case." I may publish something, but I just don't have the energy right now.

[yvonnelygo]

Actually, I think I have this- the feeling of being ' drunk' is one great thing, I like it.
Everything else, I hate, : being ignored by doctors, getting fobbed off. Being in pain is awful

[sepsisvitality]

I thought I had the flu! The first A&E doctor missed the signs for sepsis and sent me home. If I hadn't gone back I would have died from pneumonia and sepsis! I remember being totally drenched in sweat yet feeling freezing cold all at the same time and the colours of my room had turned grey - looking back these were clear markers that it wasn't 'just the flu'!!!

[tyanny]

Record this again Without the background music. This guy is hard enough to understand without music and the music adds Nothing to the presentation.

[AGMundy]

The onset of bacterial sepsis is astonishing. It comes it seems out of nowhere and the symptoms abbreviated to the word sepsis are wholly appropriate. There are other forms of sepsis such as neutropenic with chemotherapy often a cause. I have had both. I was hospitalised for 3 weeks with neutropenic sepsis but felt much more ill with bacterial sepsis. In this time of covid and the pressure on the NHS it would have been easy to have left it, putting it down to a passing infection. Thankfully working for a doctor I was told to call the emergency services at once and within two hours I was in hospital hooked up to intravenous antibiotics which could well have saved my life.

[lindacoles]

I was struck down by sepsis in August this year. it was so rapid, I first started to feel achy, hot and cold, with my hands and feet freezing (in August!). within in no time I was drowsey and wanting to sleep. I started to vomit, that should have alarmed me as I haven't been sick in over 40 years, but by now I wasn't fully with it but no one realised how I'll I was until I passed out. This was lucky for me because I would have probably gone to sleep and not woken up because my blood pressure had dropped and my internal organs were packing in. My husband called for the paramedics and luckily they quickly realised what was wrong. I was rushed into high dependency then into Intensive Care at the BRI at Bristol. By now I had lost use in my hands and legs, I thought I was going to be paralysed. I had to undergo a hideous procedure whereby they cut into my neck and pushed two lines into my heart. But it saved me together with the correct antibiotics. I can honestly say I have never felt so Ill and I did realise I was very close to death and remember thinking "gosh I didn't think it was going to end like this, and all in under 24 hours". The care I received was second to none and I and my family will be forever grateful for that the team at the BRI did for me.
Its December now and I have recovered so very well; I have my days of reflection but luckily I have not suffered depression which is very common when someone has had a near death episode. I was so weak for sometime but my energy levels are coming back and I am so grateful. I do still get absolutely drained, usually when I least expect it! Also concentration and memory have suffered but they are getting better and if that's all I have to worry about I can live with that! I didn't lose any limbs and I am almost back to my old self. Please, please take notice of what SEPSIS means, what each letter stands for, it may save your or someone you know from dying or from life changing effects.
S for severe shortness of breath
E for extremely cold hands and feet
P for palpitations
S for slurred speech
I for I have never felt so bad
S for shivering uncontrollably

I sincerely hope you never have to go through this but a word of advice if you start feeling ill with flu symptoms that progress to any of the above DON'T RING YOUR GP, call the paramedics or get someone to get you to A and E, every hour counts and the sooner you start having the right medication the better chance you have.
Thank you again to the BRI, BRISTOL.

[eltonwilliams]

I went to the hospital because i was shivering uncontrollably, they said it was Covid and accute pancreatitis, i Was released the next night with antibiotics. MISSERABLE

[chesterholland]

I never developed sepsis but I did experience covid 19 january 2022. I thought it was flu cause taste smell wasn't gone and still breathe but had maximum fever 102.2f, chills, sweats, mild hullicination once, body temperature elevated 97F - 102F, fatigue, severe sore throat, pain swallow worse than tonsilitis but tonsils was not infected, headache, and cough. Was put on 2 antibiotics include 5 treatment, 875mg amoxicillin with 1 refill, vitamins, zinc and 7 day steroids. Then later I experience loss taste smell, mild kneck stiff move up and down and brain fog. Only time I would ever thought something serious if fever goes too high and maximum was 102.2 it was bit struggle to get treatment cause of weather was about to act with winter storms but we made it to clinic for treatment. I know if I could not get there I would had to get ambulance and have iv bags of antibiotics, infusion, steroids and vitamins zinc. I had strep too. I'm glad I didn't went sepsis.

[emmaleechase]

My family members biggest symptom was ‘back pain’ that increases over several weeks. He had a cut on his arm that became infected. He didn’t make the association until it was very late.