Sepsis or septicemia is an adverse reaction by your body to a bacterial infection. When you get sick, your immune system responds to try to fight the infection or problem. But sometimes the immune system stops fighting the infection and starts affecting your healthy tissues and organs, which septicemia causes inflammation all over your body.
At the same time, blood clots can form in your blood vessels because of an abnormal chain reaction in your blood-clotting system. This cuts off blood flow to your organs, which can cause serious damage or even cause them to fail.
Who can get affected by bacterial sepsis?
Sepsis or septicemia can happen to anyone, but people with infections, especially bacteremia, have a higher chance of getting it.
Also at high risk are:
- People older than 65, babies and young children, and women who are pregnant.
- People who have health problems like diabetes, being overweight, cancer, or kidney disease.
- People whose immune systems aren’t as strong.
- People who are in the hospital for reasons other than their health.
- People with serious cuts or burns, for example.
- People who have catheters, IVs, or tubes to help them breathe.
What are the different stages of bacterial sepsis?
Sepsis used to be broken down into three stages: sepsis, serious sepsis, and septic shock. Now, they use a scale that is more flexible to describe the situation. This scale goes from infection and bacteremia (bacteria in your system) to sepsis and septic shock, which can cause multiple organs to stop working and even death.
What are the signs and symptoms of bacterial sepsis?
There are various septicemia symptoms because it can start in different parts of your body. Breathing quickly and being confused may be the first signs. Some other common signs are:
- Diarrhea
- Discolored skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Severe pain
- Urinating less than usual
- Chills and fever
- Vomiting and nausea
- Fall in body temperature
- Sweaty skin
What are the examples of different bacterial infections?
For bacteria to cause an illness, they have to get into your body. So you can get a bacterial illness through a cut, a bug bite, or a surgical wound. Through your airways, bacteria can also get into your body and cause illnesses like bacterial pneumonia. Other bacterial blood infection types include bladder and kidney infections, urinary tract infections, and tooth abscesses. MRSA, Group B Streptococcus, and C. Difficile are also known to cause infections. Infections can also happen in open wounds like bedsores or pressure ulcers.
Is bacterial sepsis contagious?
Sepsis is not a disease that can be passed on to other people. But you can spread sepsis-causing illnesses.
What happens if bacterial sepsis is not treated early?
If it isn’t caught early and treated quickly, it can cause septic shock, organ failure, and death. Most of the time, it is a dangerous side effect of an infection.
What are the complications of bacterial sepsis if left untreated?
As sepsis gets worse, the brain, heart, and kidneys don’t get as much blood as they need to. Sepsis can make blood clot in unusual ways. Small blood clots or blood vessels that burst may hurt or kill tissues.
Most people get better from mild sepsis, but between 30% and 40% of people die from septic shock. Also, having a serious case of sepsis makes it more likely that you will get sick again. If the sepsis is caused by a lung infection, reach out to a pulmonologist in Coimbatore to help avoid complications.
What are the steps involved in the diagnosis of bacterial sepsis?
It’s very important to find people with illnesses who might go on to get sepsis as soon as possible. There are no strict criteria to identify sepsis. So, doctors use the results of a physical exam, lab tests, X-rays, and other tests together to find the infection (using blood cultures) and confirm sepsis.
Blood sample examination:
Complete blood count (CBC), blood samples, and tests to look for abnormal liver and kidney function, clotting problems, and electrolyte problems.
Blood-oxygen levels:
A test to find out how much oxygen is in your blood.
What are the different treatment approaches for bacterial sepsis?
The septicemia treatment needs to start right away. The most important thing in the sepsis procedure is to find out what’s wrong quickly and start treatment right away.
If you have sepsis, your doctor will generally put you in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) for special care. If you have sepsis, you may be given the following:
Antibiotics:
If you have a bacterial illness, you will be given antibiotics prescribed by a sepsis specialist to treat it.
Supportive care:
If organs stop working, you’ll need other sepsis treatments, like dialysis for kidney failure or forced ventilation for respiratory failure.
Medical surgery:
In case sepsis damages tissues, in such cases medical surgery is recommended.
What are the tips to prevent bacterial sepsis?
The best way to avoid sepsis is to avoid getting an illness. Do these things:
- Use soap and water to wash your hands often, and do it for at least 20 seconds each time.
- Get the flu and chickenpox shots that your doctor recommends.
- Keep any long-term health problems under control.
- If you’ve been hurt and your skin has been broken, clean it as soon as you can. As it heals, keep it clean and covered, and look for signs of infection.
- Take care of any illnesses. If they don’t get better or seem to be getting worse, get them to a doctor right away.
Important Takeaway:
Sepsis is a medical issue that can kill a person. To keep from getting sepsis, make sure to treat any illnesses right away. If you wait too long to treat an infection, it could turn into a disease that kills you. Get medical help right away if your problem isn’t getting better or seems to be getting worse. Avail sepsis management in Coimbatore to get prompt treatment for sepsis to avoid fatality.
