Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical intervention. It is a rare but potentially fatal complication of an infection in the body. This is exactly why it is important to know how sepsis is acquired and what are the risk factors that lead to it.

This clinical syndrome is characterized by a series of biochemical abnormalities that occur as an exaggerated immune response to infection.

Sepsis can develop from any bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infection that is not adequately treated. When it gets out of control, it causes a systemic inflammatory reaction that attacks organs and tissues and, unfortunately, in some cases, leads to death.

How dangerous sepsis is and how it is treated, find out in the following lines.

What is sepsis?

Sepsis is an overactive inflammatory response of the body to bacteria. The organism overreacts to the presence of infection, so the inflammation spreads to other organs and tissues. It is most often born from a bacterial infection, but it can also develop from a viral or fungal infection. It starts locally, and if not stopped in time, ends up in the bloodstream as a systemic problem.

Septic shock is a life-threatening condition involving multiple organ failure. The most exposed categories are the elderly, patients on immunosuppressive therapy, people with weakened immunity and those who become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

The most common causes of sepsis:

Pneumonia - An infection of the lungs, whether bacterial or viral, can lead to sepsis when pathogenic organisms begin to spread through the bloodstream.

Urinary tract infections - Infections of the urinary tract, bladder or kidneys in the elderly often result in sepsis.

Blood infections – When bacteria enter the bloodstream, the risk of sepsis directly increases.

Skin Infections – Wounds, cuts, burns, or wounds after surgery can become infected and serve as an entry point for bacteria to cause sepsis.

Digestive infections – Infections of the gastrointestinal tract or peritonitis, an inflammation of the peritoneum, can become complicated and lead to sepsis.

Infections after childbirth - When conditions are unsanitary during childbirth, bacteria can develop, leading to sepsis in the mother or baby. Untreated infections during childbirth are also a risk for this condition.

Medical Devices - If not properly sterilized, medical devices put patients at risk of infection. This applies to catheters, injections and other medical instruments.

Anyone can develop sepsis, but the most vulnerable categories with a higher risk factor are:

Elderly people

Babies

People with weakened immunity (patients on chemotherapy, autoimmune diseases, patients with HIV)

Patients with chronic diseases (diabetes, kidney diseases, cirrhosis)

Inadequately treated infections

Unsanitary conditions

A person receives an infusion in a hospital setting

Patients hospitalized for some serious trauma or systemic pathologies are very susceptible to infections that can spread and spill over into the bloodstream causing sepsis. Urinary tract infections and pneumonia are dominant, especially in older people.

Among the most common infectious agents are gram-negative bacteria, but also fungal infections, influenza viruses, coronaviruses, and respiratory viruses.

Symptoms of sepsis

Sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid recognition and response. Symptoms that indicate sepsis can sometimes be discrete, and sometimes very clear.

Symptoms are initially subtle in the form of a mild fever and then progress to the point of compromising the ability to regulate body functions with respiratory failure, heart, liver and kidney failure leading to septic shock and death.

Detecting these symptoms will save someone's life.

High or low body temperature

Rapid heartbeat

Difficulty and rapid breathing

Disorientation and confusion

Low blood pressure

Skin changes (rash, welts, facial pallor)

Treatment is carried out in hospital conditions, in intensive care. It is necessary to continuously monitor clinical parameters.

Blood pressure – Hypotension must not occur. A drop in pressure indicates septic shock. When the pressure starts to drop, drugs to raise the pressure are included and the fluid level rises.

Saturation - The level of oxygen in the blood is measured. Low saturation is a threat for respiratory problems or hypoxia due to sepsis.

Minute volume - The amount of blood that the heart pumps per minute. Decreased cardiac output indicates heart failure or poor organ perfusion.

Respiratory activity - Labored and rapid breathing indicate the worsening of sepsis. This is an indicator that mechanical ventilation is required.

Electrolyte balance – Sepsis disrupts the levels of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes. It affects heart, muscle and nerve function.

Kidney function - Creatinine and urea are indicators of proper kidney function. Acute kidney injury is a common complication of sepsis.

Liver function - AST, ALT, bilirubin, albumin can indicate whether the liver is affected by sepsis.

Blood count - The presence of anemia or thrombocytopenia usually indicates serious complications. Leukocytes increase or decrease in sedogs.

Coagulation level – Sepsis causes disorders in blood clotting. This increases the risk of bleeding or thrombosis.

Body temperature - The key signs of sepsis are elevated or decreased body temperature.

Measuring body temperature with a thermometer

Secondary infections - The danger of secondary infections arises after long-term antibiotic therapy or due to weakened immunity.

Is sepsis contagious?

Sepsis is not an infection, but a consequence or reaction of the body to an infection. This means that it cannot be transferred. But the microorganisms that cause the underlying infection that led to sepsis are transmissible.

Although sepsis is not directly transmitted, we give you the communicable causes:

Bacteria: Bacterial infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli bacteria are spread by droplet, direct contact or through contaminated surfaces.

Viruses: The influenza virus or SARS-CoV-2 is easily transmitted from person to person.

Fungi: Fungal infections are easily transmitted to immunocompromised patients. They are usually not transmissible among healthy people.

Parasites: Parasitic infections such as malaria are transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.

In order to prevent the spread of infection and to completely prevent getting sepsis, it is necessary to take a number of preventive measures.

Maintaining hygiene

Vaccination

Adequate and timely treatment of infection

Avoiding contact with sick people

Strengthening the immune system

Proper sterilization of medical instruments

Monitoring the course of the infection

The most important thing is to prevent the infection from developing, thus preventing the development of sepsis.

Is sepsis curable?

If recognized in time and adequately treated, sepsis is curable. The outcome mostly depends on the patient's general health condition, timely diagnosis and effective therapy. The faster it is recognized in which direction the disease is going, the faster the problem will be solved.

The success of the treatment will depend on the stage of sepsis, the general condition of the patient and the speed of the reaction. Early detection of sepsis has a better prognosis than when it progresses to septic shock.

If it is established that the organism is slightly affected by sepsis, with appropriate therapy, a complete recovery occurs. The prognosis for a more severe form or septic shock is more serious and uncertain, but with adequate care, many patients recover.

Some patients after sepsis have long-term consequences that require permanent medical support. When chronic organ damage or post-septic syndrome occurs, a multidisciplinary approach to treatment is required.

How long does it take to recover from sepsis?

Recovery from sepsis takes from several weeks to several months. The outcome mostly depends on the severity of the sepsis itself, the patient's age, associated diseases and complications.

Severity of sepsis: Mild sepsis can be resolved with a cocktail of antibiotics in a few weeks, while severe forms or septic shock can take months. It is especially complicated if vital organs are damaged.

Age: Elderly people recover slowly from any infection. Due to the weakened immunity at the start, the risk of complications is much higher.

Associated diseases before sepsis: If the patient has chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart or kidney diseases, recovery is very difficult and long.

Complications: When there is chronic damage to vital organs or post-septic syndrome, recovery is much more difficult and often ends in death.

To prevent sepsis, try to take care of your body, avoid infections, exercise regularly, eat healthy and supplement yourself with vitamins.

Apoteka Online is here for you, to prevent weaknesses and boost your immune system with supplementation.