30 September 2023 , 15:19
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Health experts have warned people who have experienced coronavirus and said it is "a more common and deadly cause of sepsis" than people had thought.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital has discovered that sepsis is commonly caused by viral infections such as Covid-19. Sepsis can lead to the immune system sparking damage to the body's tissues and organs. In the most severe cases, it can cause death.
Most people "equate sepsis with bacterial infections". However, a new study showed that it had been linked to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Researchers discovered that one in six sepsis cases during the first two-and-a-half years of the pandemic were caused by the virus.
Lead author Claire Shappell, from the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: “This is reflected in treatment guidelines and quality measures that require immediate antibiotics for patients with suspected sepsis. However, viral infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, can trigger the same dysregulated immune response that leads to organ dysfunction as in bacterial sepsis.”
Doctors said the results should seen as a framework for potentially other viruses (Getty Images)The team used health record data from five Mass General Brigham hospitals to monitor the rate of SARS-CoV-2-associated sepsis between March 2020 and November 2022. They tracked data with criteria made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports The Sun.
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The team examined 431,017 hospitalisations from 261,595 patients and found that 5.4 per cent of them were caused by Covid-19 infections. They recorded 28 per cent of those affected to have developed Covid-associated sepsis.
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It has been reported that the mortality rate for people with Covid-linked sepsis was initially high — 33 per cent over the first three months of the pandemic. However, the rate decreased over time and is likened to the bacterial sepsis rate of around 14.5 per cent.
The team said the findings suggest that medics should reconsider how they manage sepsis and how they put together framework. The researchers believe the framework designed from their data could also help identify other viruses such as flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Dr Shappell, who is based in the pulmonary and critical care medicine division at the department, commented: "We hope our findings highlight that sepsis is not a 'one-size-fits-all' entity, but one that requires clinicians to tailor their diagnosis and treatment strategy to each patient’s syndrome and probable pathogen.” Doctors have urged people to call 999 or visit their local emergency department if they feel confused or notice slurred speech. Other symptoms include a rash that doesn't fade and discoloured or blotchy skin. Those struggling with breathing issues are also advised to seek medical attention.