History

Context: age, sex, comorbidities, medications, hospital or community acquired

Current major symptoms and their time course

Risk factors for sepsis? Consider immunosuppressive therapy, HIV-AIDS, cancer, renal failure, liver failure, diabetes, malnutrition, splenectomy, IV drug use, prosthetic heart valve, other prosthetic material, peripheral IV cannula, central venous cannula, bladder catheter

Recent culture results?

Recent surgery or invasive procedures?

Recent foreign travel?

Contact with infectious disease?

Examination

Physiological observations

Head and neck: Neck stiffness? Jaundice? Mouth, teeth and sinuses: focus of infection? Lymphadenopathy?

Chest: Focal lung crackles/bronchial breathing? Pleural/pericardial rub? Heart murmur? Prosthetic heart valve?

Pacemaker/ICD?

Abdomen and pelvis: Distension? Ascites? Tenderness/guarding? Bladder catheter? Perineal/perianal abscess?

Limbs: Acute arthritis? Prosthetic joint? Abscess?

Skin and soft tissues: Rash/purpura? Pressure ulceration? Cellulitis? Soft-tissue infection? IV cannula/tunnelled line?