Septicemia

Septicemia is the medical name for blood poisoning; it is the presence of bacteria in the blood and is often associated with severe disease. The number of deaths resulting from septicemia is very high, around 20 percent. Septicemia is a medical crisis, and it puts the life of the patient in critical danger, it requires immediate action and urgent medical treatment.

Septicemia (also known as blood poisoning) is caused by the invasion of the bloodstream by virulent microorganisms from a focus of infection, in other words it is a secondary infection that occurs when bacteria from an infected site in the body invades the blood stream, inducing severe problems. In case of continual growth of bacteria, without being stopped by the immune system, septic shock is imminent. Septicemia most often attack patients who are just recovering from surgery and also those with compromised immune systems, normally a reason of chronic or intense illness. Complete return to health requires prompt medical treatment.

Causes Of Septicemia

Septicemia is an intense, instantly spreading and life-endangering infection that can be caused by infections, which rapidly spreads throughout the body, inducing infections in the lungs, abdomen, and urinary tract. It might come earlier in time or come almost with infections of the bone, infection of the central nervious system,or other tissues.

Blood poisoning normally results when bacteria spread from the primary site into the bloodstream. The bacteria and the endo-toxins discharged by the body’s immune response to stop the infection slow down blood flow, initiating fever and chills.
Septic shock follows, if the patient fails to acquire medical treatment. Infected surgical wounds, wounds, burns, pneumonia, abscessed teeth and infected gums can also be a cause to blood poisoning. More seldom reasons for blood poisoning can be eating un-pasteurized dairy products and uncooked seafood, which is often infected with dangerous bacteria.

Symptoms

Patients with septicemia frequently suffer from a hemorrhagic rash (a cluster of relatively blood spots that look like pin pricks in the skin). If left untreated, these slowly progress and become bigger and proceed to look like fresh bruises. These bruises then combine to form larger areas of purple skin damage and discoloration.

Septicemia spreads very speedily, and the patient becomes very sick in relatively short time, quite often a patients show signs like, a lost interest in food and surroundings, fever, complains of feeling cold with cool hands and feet, fall into coma and which sometimes leads to death, fever has an immediate occurrence; often very sharp. Show visible changes in mental state like abnormally lethargic and anxiously agitated state, while often being unresponsive (associated with a coma) shocked and cold clammy pale appearance, blue unresponsive skin signs associated with clotting abnormalities.

Often with large, flat, purplish lesions that do not blanch when pressed. With Gangrene; a sign of early changes in the extremities, suggesting decreased or absent blood flow, also accompanied with decreased or no urine out put.

The victims are also slowly develop some of the signs of meningitis. The symptoms of septicemia may resemble other conditions or medical problems.

Septic shock has a high death rate, exceeding 50%, depending on the type of organism involved. The organism involved and the immediacy of hospitalization will determine the outcome.

Treatment

The poisening is more likely to harm, if the patient is not hospitalized, intensive care unit treatment is needed frequently after admission, and interavenous fluids are given to sustain the blood pressure. Strong IV drugs called Sympathomimetics are often required to maintain the blood pressure. Oxygen therapy is also started to conserve the oxygen saturation.

The broad spectrum antibiotics are effective against a wide range of organisms, the infection is treated with those drugs before the identification of organism. Once cultures can esablish the identification of the specific organism responsible for the infection, specific antibiotic treatment for that organism can be started. Plasma or other treatment may be needed for correction of clotting abnormalities.

Specific treatment for septicemia can be determined based on the age, over all health and medical history of the patient, and also on the extent of the condition. Patient’s tolerance for certain medications and treatment is also considered, expectation and prognosis of the illness is also important.
Septicemia is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. In most cases, treatment involves antibiotic medication.

Septic shock: It is a serious medical condition resulting problems like multipul organ failier and death, due to the infection and sepsis. Frequent victims are children and the elderly, as their immune system cannot cope with the infection, and the immunely compromised individuals also. Septic shock kills about half of its victims.

The process of infection by bacteria or fungi can proceed in systemic signs and symptoms that are differently depicted.

Treatment originally comprises antimicrobial chemotherapy, therapy of the source of infection, and hemodynamic, respiratory, and metabolic help. Antimediator agents may be of limited use in certain clinical situations.

Inflammation: It is the initial response of the immune system to the infection or irritation and may also be denoted as the sudden inner downpour. Inflammation is precisely stated by the following quintet: redness, heat, swelling, pain and dysfunction of the organs involved.

The redness and heat are induced by the increased blood supply to the area of the infection. Vasoconstriction downstream of the infection greatly increases swelling in tissue, which distends the tissues, compresses nerve endings, and results in pain When inflammation is decreased the damaged tissue is also repaired. Directly relying on the intensity of the inflammation and the type of tissue involved, repairs may or may not be complete.