According to the Wold Health Organisation, sepsis is the deadliest condition in the world.

The condition can kill perfectly healthy people in hours, with Alfie Coxon's case serving as a stark reminder of how serious the condition can be.

Doctors across the globe are urged to take preventative measure and treat suspected cases of sepsis within an hour to prevent unnecessary deaths, reports The Liverpool Echo.

Sepsis - a life-threatening complication of other infections - should be dealt with as an emergency just like a heart attack, according to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Last World Sepsis Day (September 13) the World Health Organisation concentrated on maternal sepsis (when it occurs during or just after pregnancy) and neonatal sepsis (when it occurs in newborns) to help prevent 35 000 maternal deaths and one million babies every year.

Below, we look at exactly what sepsis is:

What is sepsis?

Experts warn thousands of people are unnecessarily dying from sepsis
Experts warn thousands of people are unnecessarily dying from sepsis






What are the symptoms of sepsis?



See the NHS Choices for signs in under-fives.

Who is at risk of sepsis?



Is sepsis the same as blood poisoning?




What is the treatment for sepsis?



How likely is sepsis to kill?

