What is Sepsis?
Sepsis is the body's overwhelming and sometimes fatal response to infection, which can result in organ failure, tissue damage, and fatalities. To fight infection, immune chemicals secreted in the blood cause massive inflammation, which leads to blood clots and leaky vessels. This decreases blood flow, causing organ damage by depriving them of oxygen and nutrients.
Stages of sepsis
Sepsis is divided into three stages:
Sepsis is a condition in which an infection enters the bloodstream and produces inflammation throughout the body.
Severe Sepsis The infection and inflammation have progressed to the point that they are interfering with organ function.
Septic Shock Septic shock is a serious sepsis consequence that results in a considerable decrease in blood pressure. This can result in a variety of catastrophic consequences, including organ damage.
Symptoms of sepsis
If you have any signs or symptoms of sepsis, you should seek medical help right away. The sooner the treatment starts, the better are the chances of recovery.
Symptoms of sepsis can include:
- Chills and fever
- Perplexity or disorientation
- Breathing problems
- Low blood pressure or a fast heart rate (hypotension)
- Extreme agony Skin that is sweaty
Symptoms of severe sepsis include
- Difficulty breathing
- Skin discolouration, especially on lips, fingers, and toes
- Chills as a result of a decrease in body temperature
- Urination is less frequent
- Dizziness
- Mental Ability Changes
- Unconsciousness
Causes
While any bacterial, viral, or fungal infection can cause sepsis, illnesses that are more typically associated with sepsis include infections of the respiratory tract.
- Pneumonia
- Abdominal infections
- Kidney infections
- Blood poisoning
- Wounds or burns
Risk Factors
A lot of factors and conditions increase the risk for sepsis, including:
- Older age
- Infancy
- Diabetes
- Weak immune system
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney or liver illness
- Longer hospital stays or admission to an intensive care unit
- Intravenous catheters and breathing tubes for long time
- Use of antibiotics or corticosteroids in the past
Prevention
Vaccinate yourself against the flu, pneumonia, and other illnesses.
Cleaning scrapes and wounds and practising proper hygiene by washing hands and bathing on a regular basis can help prevent infections that can progress to sepsis.
If you have an infection and witness any of the following signs, seek immediate treatment to prevent sepsis.
- Fever and chills
- Excessive thirst
- Breathing difficulties, a fast heart rate, low blood pressure, and a poor urine output are all signs of organ dysfunction
- Rash
- Extreme weakness, dizziness, lethargy or confusion
- Loss of appetite
- Skin or wounds that become red, hot, tender and swollen or draining pus
Diagnosis
If one has sepsis symptoms, the doctor will conduct tests to diagnose the illness and establish its severity. A blood test is one of the first tests to be performed. The blood test examines the following conditions
- Problems with infection clotting
- Anomaly of the liver or kidneys
- Low oxygen levels
- Electrolyte imbalance, if any
- Blood acidity levels to check how acidic a person's blood is
The doctor may prescribe additional tests based on the symptoms and the findings of the blood test, such as
- A urine test is required (to check for bacteria in the urine)
- A test of wound secretion (to check an open wound for an infection)
- A test for mucus secretion (to identify germs responsible for an infection)
If the above tests fail to identify the source of illness, the doctor may request an interior examination of the body using one of the following methods:
- X-rays of the chest to examine the lungs
- CT scans are used to look for infections in the appendix, pancreas, and colon
- Ultrasounds to see if the gallbladder or ovaries are infected
- Soft tissue infections can be detected using MRI scanning
Treatment
The chances of a successful recovery increase with early and extensive treatment. In the critical care unit, patients with sepsis must be closely monitored and treated. Lifesaving procedures may be necessary to stabilise respiratory and heart function.
Medications
Sepsis and septic shock are treated with a variety of drugs. They include the following:
- Antibiotics : Antibiotic treatment should begin as soon as feasible. Antibiotics with a broad spectrum of action, which are effective against a wide range of germs, are typically used initially. Following the findings of blood testing, your doctor may switch to an antibiotic that is specifically designed to combat the bacteria that is causing the infection.
- Intravenous fluids: Intravenous fluids should be started as soon as feasible.
- Vasopressors:
Individuals may be given vasopressor medication if their blood pressure stays too low after getting intravenous fluids. This medicine helps to raise blood pressure by constricting blood vessels.
Low doses of corticosteroids, insulin to assist maintain stable blood sugar levels, medicines that modulate immune system responses, and painkillers or sedatives are also possible therapies. - Supportive care: People with sepsis are frequently given supportive treatment, which includes oxygen. Individuals may require the assistance of a machine to help breathe, depending on their health. One may require dialysis if the kidneys have been damaged.
- Surgery: Surgery may be required to remove infection sources such as pus collections (abscesses), diseased tissues, or dead tissues (gangrene).
