Sepsis and Bacterial Infections

Bacteria are microscopic single-cell microorganisms (microbes) that are all around us. Most are harmless, and many are helpful. For example, bacteria in your intestines (gut) help break down the food you eat so your body can digest it. However, some types of bacteria can cause bacterial infections, which in turn can cause sepsis.

Sepsis, which was often called blood poisoning, is the body’s life-threatening response to infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Suggested Citation:
Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis and Bacterial Infections. 2025. https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/bacterial-infections/

Reviewed May 9, 2025.

 

More About Bacterial Infections

Examples

Bacteria must enter your body for them to cause an infection. So you can get a bacterial infection through an opening in your skin, such as a cut, a bug bite, or a surgical wound. Bacteria can also enter your body through your airway and cause infections like bacterial pneumonia. Other types of bacterial infections include urinary tract infections (including bladder and kidney infections) and dental abscesses, as well as infections caused by MRSA, Group B Streptococcus, and C. Difficile. Infections can also occur in open wounds, such as pressure ulcers (bed sores). Pressure ulcers are caused by constant pressure on the skin for extended periods or rubbing. For example, a senior who is bedridden could develop sores on the coccyx (tailbone) area, elbows, heels, or anywhere else where there is constant contact with a bed or adapted “easy chair.”

The name of one type of infection, septic arthritis, may be confusing to some people because it is not sepsis, despite its name. Septic arthritis is an infection in the joint fluid. However, this type of infection can also lead to sepsis. It can be caused by bacteria, as well as other microbes.

Sometimes bacterial infections are “secondary infections.” For example, if you contract COVID-19 – a virus – your body is in a weakened state and could also develop bacterial pneumonia. You would then be fighting both a viral infection and a bacterial one.

Symptoms

Bacterial infections present in many ways, depending on the part of the body affected. If you have bacterial pneumonia, you may experience

  • Fever
  • Cough, with phlegm
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating
  • Shaking chills
  • Headache
  • Muscle pain
  • Fatigue
  • Chest pain with breathing

If you have a urinary tract infection, you may have some of these symptoms:

  • Sudden and extreme urges to void (pass urine)
  • Frequent urges to void
  • Burning, irritation, or pain as you void
  • A feeling of not emptying your bladder completely
  • A feeling of pressure in your abdomen or lower back
  • Thick or cloudy urine – it may contain blood
  • Fever

The common element with most bacterial infections are:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Pain or discomfort in the affected area

But if the infection is in a joint, that joint and the surrounding area will likely hurt; if you have a sinus infection, you will probably have a headache and foul nasal discharge, and so on.

Prevention

Not all infections can be prevented, but the chances of spreading these infections can be greatly reduced by following these tips:

  • Wash your hands often, particularly if you are in a healthcare facility.
  • Keep wounds clean and covered.
  • Avoid sharing personal items, such as razors.
  • Eat a healthy diet. Malnutrition, not consuming enough nutrients for your needs, can lower your body’s ability to fight
Treatment

Most often, treatment for a bacterial infection is with antibiotics. They could be taken orally (by pill, liquid, or capsule), injection, drops, topical (cream or ointment), or intravenously (by IV). The treatment may be very short, or it could go as long as several weeks, depending on the type of infection and how it reacts to the antibiotics. Sometimes, the infection will not go away, and your doctor may have to try a different type of antibiotic.

Celebrities

Actress Ashley Park was treated for tonsillitis that progressed to sepsis. Other celebrities, like singer Chris Young and radio personality Casey Kasem, developed wound infections. Learn about more celebrities who had sepsis here.

 

Related Resources

Sepsis and Bacterial Infections – Chinese

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Sepsis and Bacterial Infections – Tagalog

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LA SEPSIS Y LAS INFECCIONES DENTALES

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LA SEPSIS Y LAS INFECCIONES BACTERIANAS

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Information Guide

Prevention

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Meningitis

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Dental Infections

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Cellulitis

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C. difficile

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Bacterial Infections

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Appendicitis

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Steven Watkins

This is my journey of 37-days in hospital with Sepsis. August to September 2023 It must have all started for me when I got a sore neck and shoulders, about one week before I ended up in hospital. I went to our medical and injury centre since I could not see my GP for at least another week, and after waiting for about three hours finally got to see a doctor. However, they only sent me home to do some neck exercises…. no blood tests… otherwise they would have found what was really happening with me. What ended up being ... Read Full Story

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Andie Mae

I was sick on and off four times in a month and a half, which I just attributed to my less than ironclad immune system being exposed to baby and daycare germs. The third time I got sick, I thought, “Ok really that’s enough! I’m going in to urgent care to see if we can nip this in the bud.” But all the tests came back negative. And then the next few days I felt back to normal. Well, a week or so later, I start feeling sick again. Thursday morning I woke up and was definitely sick. Same drill. ... Read Full Story

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Christine Krzeminski

In October 2022, I was a happily married mother of three young children, all under the age of 10. At the time, I was in good health and actively engaged in various family activities. Although I was feeling slightly unwell, I did not consider it a cause for concern. The next thing I remember is waking up 12 days later in the ICU, where I was informed of my diagnosis: sepsis caused by Haemophilus influenzae. I had developed unexpected abscesses on my legs and experienced significant cognitive impairment due to a brain infection. I later learned that my husband had ... Read Full Story

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Braxton Bumgarner

Braxton is a 13-year-old 7th grader. 5 months ago on August 1, 2024, he said his knee hurt. The next day, it hurt worse, so his Dad took him to urgent care. The doctor basically told him he didn’t really know what pain was even though he said it was a 10. My husband asked if it could be an infection and he said no, he wasn’t showing any signs, even though he never did anything other than an x-ray. He told us to rotate Motrin and Tylenol for the pain. 2 days later we took him to our local ... Read Full Story

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Nicole Harpster

2023 was the hardest year ever, I thought at the time. I lost my husband to ALS, in the summer. It was almost a relief to not see him so debilitated, but the sadness was certainly huge. A few months later, some friends took me to Fiji, for some much needed R & R. We had literally been at the resort for an hour and decided to get in the ocean. Immediately I saw the most beautiful blue starfish, and as I reached for it, my foot caught, and I fell on my knees in coral. I knew it was ... Read Full Story

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Bacterial Infections