How Long Can You Live With Sepsis Untreated?

Sepsis is not an illness that “waits its turn.” It is a life-threatening organ-dysfunction caused by the body’s extreme response to infection, and in older adults, especially nursing home residents, sepsis can develop quickly and carry a high risk of death or long-term disability. How long someone can survive with untreated sepsis depends on many things (age, underlying conditions, source of infection, how quickly organ failure develops), but the safe takeaway for families and caregivers is simple: every hour counts. Prompt recognition and rapid medical care dramatically improve survival, while delays can be fatal within hours to days.

“When residents can’t advocate for themselves, it falls on families and facilities to catch infections early. Delays cost lives. Sepsis is time-sensitive, and nursing homes must act like it’s an emergency the moment warning signs appear.” — John J. Malm, Naperville nursing home neglect attorney

What Sepsis Is and Why Timing Matters

Sepsis occurs when an infection (commonly pneumonia, urinary tract infections, or skin/wound infections in older adults) triggers a dysregulated immune response that injures organs and tissues. When sepsis advances to septic shock, marked by dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure, mortality jumps substantially. Studies show that sepsis care is time-sensitive: each hour of delay to appropriate antibiotics is associated with a measurable increase in mortality risk. In real-world terms, sepsis can progress from early symptoms to organ failure in a matter of hours for some patients, while others may deteriorate over a few days. There is no fixed “safe” window.

Typical Outcomes of Sepsis

• Incidence and deaths: In the U.S., at least 1.7 million adults develop sepsis each year, and at least ~350,000 adults who develop sepsis die during their hospitalization or are discharged to hospice. A large fraction of people who die in hospital had sepsis during their stay.
• Elderly burden: Sepsis-related death rates rise steeply with age. Among adults aged 65 and older, sepsis-related deaths are substantially higher than in younger groups; for example, death rates per 100,000 increase markedly across the 65–74, 75–84, and 85+ age bands.
• Mortality measures: Systematic reviews estimate 30-day sepsis mortality around 24% and 90-day mortality around 32% on average; septic shock mortality is notably higher (30-day estimates near the mid-30%s in pooled analyses). Older nursing-home residents fare worse than average hospital populations.

How Quickly Can Untreated Sepsis Kill?

There is no single universal answer because sepsis behaves differently in every patient, but the literature and clinical guidance point to these important facts:

• Sepsis can escalate to severe sepsis or septic shock within hours in susceptible people (older adults, immunocompromised, multiple chronic illnesses). Rapid progression to life-threatening organ dysfunction is well documented.
• Observational and clinical studies link each hour of delay in starting effective antibiotics to increased mortality (one frequently cited study found a significant relative increase in death risk with each hour of delay). That makes “watchful waiting” dangerous.
• Large reviews show overall sepsis mortality remains substantial: pooled estimates find average 30-day sepsis mortality around 24% (higher for septic shock), with even higher short-term mortality among older, frailer patients. Untreated or markedly delayed treatment carries much higher risk.

Because of these points, saying “X hours” for everyone would be misleading. Some frail nursing home residents have been reported to die within 12–24 hours of fulminant sepsis when severe hypotension and multi-organ failure occur. Others survive longer if the infection is slower to overwhelm the body or if some supportive care is provided. The core message: untreated sepsis can be rapidly fatal, often within hours to a few days, and the risk is much higher in nursing-home populations.

Why Nursing Home Residents are at Risk of Sepsis

Nursing home populations are older and have more comorbidities (diabetes, chronic lung disease, dementia, weakened immune systems). Common contributors to sepsis in this setting include urinary tract infections (often catheter-associated), pneumonia, skin and soft-tissue infections (pressure injuries), and complications after procedures. Specific points:

• Nursing-home residents account for a disproportionate share of emergency visits and hospitalizations for severe sepsis, and reported in-hospital mortality for nursing-home residents with severe sepsis is high.
• Long-term care facilities have known challenges with infection prevention and detection. Surveillance, staffing levels, and deficiencies in infection control have been repeatedly cited in inspections. These system problems increase the chance that early infections are missed or not treated promptly.

Put bluntly: when an infection is missed, undertreated, or not escalated to medical care quickly in a nursing home, the resident’s chance of surviving sepsis falls significantly.

Signs You Should Treat as an Emergency in a Nursing Home

Early recognition saves lives. Staff and family should treat the sudden appearance of any of these as an urgent reason to call a clinician or to transfer the resident to higher care:

• New or worsening confusion, decreased responsiveness, or sudden lethargy
• Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
• Fast or weak pulse; low blood pressure (dizziness, passing out)
• High fever, or abnormally low body temperature in older adults
• New severe pain or discomfort, or a wound/pressure sore that looks worse (increasing redness, swelling, drainage, foul smell)
• Reduced urine output or sudden change in urine (cloudy, foul, bloody)

If multiple signs are present, treat the situation as possible sepsis and escalate immediately, don’t wait for a lab result. Time to evaluation, blood tests, IV fluids, and antibiotics matters.

How Neglect or Substandard Care in Nursing Homes Can Lead to Fatal Sepsis

Neglect that contributes to sepsis can include delayed assessment, failure to identify infection risk (e.g., pressure injuries left untreated), failure to obtain timely medical evaluation or labs, failure to start or arrange antibiotics promptly, inadequate wound care or catheter management, and understaffing that prevents frequent assessment. Several lines of evidence show infection-control deficiencies and missed opportunities to prevent or treat infections in long-term care settings. When those failures are present and a resident dies from sepsis or septic shock, legal liability may follow, especially where the delay is clearly avoidable and contrary to accepted standards of care.

Practical Steps Families and Caregivers Can Take Now

• Ask the nursing home about infection surveillance, staffing ratios, and how they monitor wounds/catheters.
• Insist on prompt evaluation for new fevers, confusion, breathing changes, or wound deterioration. Document requests in writing or the electronic record if possible.
• If a clinician in the facility recommends “watchful waiting” for signs that could represent infection in a frail resident, ask explicitly whether that approach could allow progression to sepsis and request immediate labs/medical evaluation.
• Keep a recent medication and medical history list available, and involve the resident’s primary care or geriatrician early.
• If you suspect neglect (delays in care, missed assessments, failure to transfer to the hospital when indicated), document dates/times and speak with an experienced Illinois nursing home negligence lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sepsis

Q: If I catch sepsis early, how much does treatment change outcomes?
A: Early treatment with prompt antibiotics, IV fluids, and organ-support as needed substantially improves survival. Studies show that each hour of delay in giving appropriate antibiotics is associated with measurable increases in mortality risk. Early recognition and treatment are lifesaving.

Q: Can a nursing home resident die of sepsis in a single day?
A: Yes. In frail, elderly patients, fulminant sepsis or septic shock can cause death within 12–24 hours once severe organ dysfunction and hypotension occur. Not every case progresses that fast, but rapid deterioration is well documented, so early action is crucial.

Q: Which infections most often lead to sepsis in nursing homes?
A: Common sources include pneumonia, urinary tract infections (often catheter-associated), and skin/soft-tissue infections such as pressure injuries. Preventing and promptly treating these infections reduces sepsis risk.

Q: What should I do if staff ignore warning signs?
A: Escalate immediately. Notify the charge nurse, ask to speak to the medical director or attending physician, request transfer to the ER if the resident is unstable, and document the timeline. If you suspect neglect or a pattern of delayed care, consult an attorney experienced in Illinois nursing home abuse cases.

Q: Are there system-level ways nursing homes can reduce sepsis?
A: Yes. Strong infection control programs, regular staff training, timely wound and catheter care, robust surveillance for early infection signs, and clear protocols to escalate care or transfer to hospital can all lower sepsis incidence and improve outcomes.

Contact the Illinois Nursing Home Sepsis Lawyers at John J. Malm & Associates

Prevention and early detection are the two most effective tools against fatal sepsis. When systems fail, through understaffing, poor infection control, or delayed clinical response, nursing home residents pay the price.

If your loved one has suffered from sepsis in a nursing home due to delayed treatment or neglect, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. Nursing facilities have a legal and ethical duty to protect their residents, and when they fail, lives are at risk. The top-rated Illinois nursing home abuse lawyers at John J. Malm & Associates have the experience and dedication to investigate what went wrong, hold negligent parties accountable, and pursue the justice your family deserves. Contact us today for a free consultation. Let us help you uncover the truth, fight for your loved one’s rights, and secure the compensation needed to move forward with dignity and peace of mind.