We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 April 2023
Septicaemia, commonly known as blood poisoning, is a bacterial infection of the blood.
See also Map 23 Meningitis.
Scotland stands out as having high rates, particularly in and around Glasgow. Tyneside, the south Wales valleys, Manchester, the Portsmouth and Southampton area, Grimsby and Birmingham are all areas with high rates. Many of these are areas that have high rates of limiting long-term illness. However, rates are not especially high in Liverpool, Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds, nor in Middlesbrough, most of Stoke and Cardiff. Thus septicaemia is not simply an affliction of poorer urban areas.
Anyone can develop septicaemia, but those with weakened immune systems and pre-existing illness are more susceptible. It is often the result of another infection within the body, for instance in the lungs or kidneys, getting into the bloodstream. Older people, children, intravenous drug users and people in intensive care units are more at risk. The symptoms are high fever, violent shaking, faintness, cold and pale hands and feet, rapid and shallow breathing, restlessness, delirium, shock and loss of consciousness. If treated early enough most people make a full recovery.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
