What is the relationship between sepsis, depression and dementia?

Complicated: If a person has dementia, any physical illness can make the cognitive dysfunction worse. As one of these physical illnesses, sepsis can cause confusion, disorientation, agitation, and hallucinations in an elderly person with dementia. If severe, the person's state of alertness can become obtunded and possibly mistaken for "depression." any changes in consciousness do need urgent evaluation.

Sepsis is a serious: Type of infection which can cause a temporary worsening of symptoms of both depression and dementia.