Watch out – this post can save lives!
Last week, I responded with my ambulance crew to a non-urgent call: a man in his late 50s was feeling dizzy and unwell at work. His colleague reported he had looked pale. On arrival, he sat in his office chair, complaining of dizziness and general malaise—symptoms with countless possible, often harmless, causes.
Our initial assessment—a team of a senior paramedic, a new EMS intern, and myself—showed:
- Heart rate: 110 bpm (tachycardic)
- Slightly low SpOâ‚‚ at 94%
- Blood pressure: 120/90 mmHg (normal)
- Fast, irregular pulse
- Overweight, on antihypertensive medication
While we were still trying to pinpoint what was wrong, his condition suddenly worsened—he became sleepy and nearly collapsed. We laid him down and, according to SOPs, urgently called for an emergency physician.
His blood pressure dropped to 85/60 mmHg. IV access was established, fluids administered, and blood glucose was normal. Only after further measurement in the ambulance did we discover a fever: his temperature was 39.0°C. His hands were cold and poorly perfused—a sign of circulatory centralization. Respiratory rate had risen to 24 breaths per minute. Bladder pain on palpation suggested a possible infection focus.
Diagnosis: Sepsis. Immediate hospital transfer and antibiotics were life-saving.
Key learning point: Even experienced teams can miss sepsis in its early, non-specific stages. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition—the body’s dysregulated response to infection, leading to organ failure and death if untreated. In Germany, it is one of the leading causes of death, and 70–80% of cases start outside hospitals.
Be alert for sepsis if someone shows:
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering, muscle pain, or fever
- No urine output all day
- Severe breathlessness
- The sense of impending death
- Mottled or discoulored skin
When in doubt, always consider sepsis and seek medical attention urgently.
Your action: Help spread awareness—share this message, print a sepsis symptom infographic, and ask yourself in every ambiguous illness: could it be sepsis?
For more information, see the Global Sepsis Alliance or the German Patient Safety Alliance.