Less common sites are intravenous lines, surgical wounds, surgical drains, and sites of skin breakdown known as decubitus ulcers or bedsores. The infection is usually confirmed by a positive blood culture . The infection can lead to shock , called septic shock . Low blood pressure and a change in mental status may be early-warning signs of shock. There has recently been an increase in the occurance of sepsis caused by organisms that are resistant to most standard antibiotics.
Sepsis can be a life-threatening situation, especially in people with a weakened immune systems.
The incidence is 2 out of 10,000 people. Intravenous antibiotic therapy should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis is suspected. The therapy is not delayed while determining the causative organism. Sometimes more than one type of antibiotic is given while results of the blood cultures are pending. Antibiotics can then be changed when the culture results are available and the causative organism is known.