Blood poisoning - Diagnosing sepsis

Sepsis is often diagnosed based on simple measurements such as your temperature, heart rate, breathing rate and a simple blood test.

Other tests may help determine the type of infection, where it is located and which body functions have been affected. These can include:

blood and urine cultures (where a sample of blood or urine is tested for infections)
stool sample tests, if you have diarrhoea
blood pressure tests
a wound culture (where a small sample of tissue, skin or fluid is taken from the affected area for testing)
respiratory secretion testing (where a sample of your saliva, phlegm or mucus is taken for testing)
imaging studies such as an X-ray, ultrasound scan or computerised tomography (CT) scan
kidney, liver and heart function tests
a lumbar puncture (where a sample of fluid is extracted from your spine for testing)

In the case of suspected sepsis, it is important to get a diagnosis as soon as possible so that appropriate treatment can be given. This can help stop the progression of sepsis and reduce the risk of long-term damage to the body, or death.