Sepsis is a potentially life threatening consequence of severe bacterial infections. Early detection & treatment can save lives. Normally when we stand up we maintain our systolic blood pressure (SBP) by constricting blood vessels. In sepsis, toxins produced by bacteria can stop this from happening.

As a doctor I have seen many patients with sepsis who when moved to a more upright posture usually either drop their SBP (particularly in elderly patients), raise their heart rate (HR) or both. An audit of 70 patients I saw showed the most dramatic changes in five patients I believed had sepsis. I believe further research is needed to determine whether such changes should trigger concern for sepsis and whether the absence of these changes can be used to exclude sepsis.