Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.
Sepsis resulting from a dental infection is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition.
Patients may also present to dental settings with sepsis from a non-dental cause.
When assessing a patient with spreading or systemic infection, be alert to signs of sepsis indicating that the infection is causing significant illness or deterioration.
These signs might be non-specific and non-localised, such as general malaise, agitation, behavioural change or confusion.¹¹
Other signs and symptoms might include high or low temperature, rigors, dehydration (i.e. reduced urine output in previous 18 hours), breathlessness, reduced blood pressure, increased heart rate, non-blanching skin rash, mottled or discoloured skin, muscle pain or cyanosis of skin, lips or tongue.^11,12
People who are very young (under 1 year), those who are older (above 75 years), frail, pregnant, have had recent trauma, surgery or invasive procedures, have any breach of skin integrity, have had repeated antibiotic treatment or have a weakened immune system are more vulnerable to sepsis.^11,13
If sepsis is suspected, dial 999 for an ambulance and deliver any necessary medical emergency care (see NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary on Sepsis for more information).
- Ensure that the diagnosis and any appropriate assessments (e.g. temperature, pulse, blood pressure) carried out prior to hospital transfer are recorded in patient’s clinical record.

N.B. The UK Sepsis Trust provides sepsis screening tools for primary dental care.