Diseases & Conditions
What is sepsis?
Ask the doctor
Q. My mother, who was in her 80s, recently died after a bout with pneumonia. When I received her death certificate, however, it listed her cause of death as sepsis. What does that mean?
A. Sepsis occurs when a germ releases dangerous substances or the immune system overreacts to the infection. In this case, your mother had pneumonia, a serious lung infection. Most likely, her immune system roared into action to fight it, but this overwhelming response went awry by progressing into septic shock. This is a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can damage the lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs and lead to death. An estimated 1.7 million American adults develop sepsis each year, and 270,000 die, according to the CDC.
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About the Author
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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