Sepsis – what it is, symptoms, treatment. How can you get infected? WE EXPLAIN

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A 30-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized in Pszczyna. She was 22 weeks pregnant, there was anhydrousness, but the doctors waited until the fetus died to provide help. The woman died of septic shock. What is sepsis?

1. Still loud about the case of a 30-year-old woman who went to the County Hospital in Pszczyna in the 22nd week of pregnancy
2. The amniotic fluid drained away and the fetus was found to have birth defects
3. At this stage, the doctors were to decide on the “expectant attitude”. This decision was to lead to the patient’s death
4. There was a septic shock, which was supposed to be related to the dying fetus
5. Sepsis is a group of symptoms caused by the body reacting rapidly (inflammation) to an infection
6. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Inflammation allows us to quickly deal with uninvited guests in our bodies, although its symptoms are usually perceived as unpleasant and we try to suppress them by taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin. In addition, it helps to keep microorganisms in the place where they entered the body and prevents their further migration into the body and infecting other organs and tissues. Inflammation is therefore a boon that protects against the spread of infection, but also has a dark side.

What is sepsis (sepsis) – symptoms and causes

There are alarming reports of sepsis from time to time in television, in the press and on the Internet. The slogan “sepsis” (sometimes called sepsis) causes anxiety and paralysis, especially as it occurs mainly in the context of the most vulnerable and helpless patients staying in seemingly safe sterile asylum and modern hospital wards.

Sepsis (sepsis) is not a disease, much less contagious! There is, however a set of symptoms caused by a sudden reaction of the body (inflammation) to infection that can cause progressive multi-organ failure (MODS), shock and death. In general, the symptoms of sepsis can be summarized in four points:

1. body temperature:> 38,3 ° C or <36 ° C;
2. heart rate:> 90 / min;
3. respiratory rate:> 20 / min;
4. white blood cell count:> 12.000 / ml (leukocytosis) or <4.000 / ml (leukopenia).

If at least 3 of the above points are met or (i) bacteria or fungi are detected in the blood, we can talk about sepsis. However, it should be remembered that the diagnosis can only be made by a doctor who will also take into account other symptoms or the results of diagnostic tests. Any doubts regarding our health should be consulted with the family doctor in the first place. You can make an appointment quickly via the halodoctor.pl portal as part of the National Health Fund.

Sepsis has always existed. It occurs where bacteria come into contact with the immune system of humans or animals. However, if the immune system works and inflammation occurs, which should stop the infection, then why does sepsis appear? The key is the immune system itself, which triggers inflammation in response to infection. If for any reason the infection spreads throughout the body, usually through the circulatory system, the inflammation spreads throughout the body.

We are well aware of how unpleasant the symptoms of minor infections are manifested by fever or pain, how quickly they can deprive you of your strength and disable you from normal functioning. If the inflammation spreads throughout the body in response to a generalized infection, the unleashed storm will hit not only the invading microbes, but also ourselves. In this case, the enemy will not only be the bacteria or fungi that caused the infection, but also our own defense forces, whose firepower can lead to shock, haemorrhage and damage to internal organs. For this reason, patients with known or suspected sepsis should be treated in an intensive care unit.

See more: Petechiae – causes, diagnosis, treatment

Sepsis is most often the result of a bacterial infection:

1. meningococcal sepsiscaused by diphtheria of the meninges;
2. streptococcal sepsis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes;
3. sepsis caused by influenza bacilli.

Sepsis is conducive to stress and viral infections, injuries, surgery, diseases that impair immunity, cancer, catheterization or ischemia of the intestinal walls.

On a scale of 0 to 4, the following parameters are assessed:

1. oxygenation index;
2. mean arterial pressure (MAP);
3. blood platelet count;
4. serum bilirubin level;
5. creatinine level or amount of diuresis;
6. patient’s state of consciousness (Glasgow scale).

In the case of exacerbation of sepsis symptoms a serious condition that poses a direct threat to the patient’s life may develop – septic shock. In its course, sepsis with hypotension and hyperlactataemia is observed, and the patient must be administered vasopressors.

Sepsis – bacteria resistant to antibiotics

The occurrence of sepsis was entirely justified in the pre-modern era of medicine, when the lack of antibiotics or antiseptics justified its prowling. But how to explain why in the era of sterile operating theaters, widespread antibiotic therapy, transplantation, ultramodern surgery and etc. sepsis is still triumphant?

The discovery of antibiotics has revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections, but the abuse and misuse of these drugs has led to the emergence of microorganisms that are resistant to many of them. In results of that, many microorganisms remain untreated and poses a serious threat, especially for people with weakened immunity, such as newborns or premature and low-birth weight children, patients after organ or bone marrow transplants, the elderly, cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, patients with burns (especially on large areas of the body). These patients are at a particularly high risk of systemic infection and subsequent sepsis.

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1. Also read: Sepsis in children – causes, symptoms, treatment

The progress of medical technology allows for ever deeper interventions into the human body, which results in extending the life span of patients who until recently died. However, prolonged hospitalizations and invasive medical procedures carry an increased risk of infections and therefore sepsis.

In addition, the source of infection should be identified, inflammations and abscesses are searched for. A blood test identifies the germ that caused the infection (however, this is only about 30% of cases).

Problems with the outflow of urine often affect children due to birth defects, but they also appear as a result of kidney stones, narrowing of the urinary tract or prostate enlargement. Other groups at risk of urosepsis include pregnant women or hospital patients requiring catheterization.

Urosepsis is most often caused by E. coli infections (up to 50% of cases), as well as Proteus spp., Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram positive bacteria. In some cases, urinary sepsis is the result of fungal infections, but this only applies to immunocompromised patients.

Sepsis prophylaxis

Aby prevent sepsis infection follow basic hygiene rules, carefully disinfect wounds, if our immunity is weakened, avoid contact with sick people, follow the recommendations of a doctor who will prescribe appropriate treatment in the event of infection. Sometimes it is necessary preventive antibiotic therapy e.g. before planned surgery or before delivery, if a pregnant woman is colonized with group B streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae). However, it is not possible to use vaccines against sepsis, as you sometimes hear in some media – there are simply no such vaccines!

Sepsis can be caused by different species of microorganisms, so it is not possible to vaccinate against all of them. Yes, there are vaccines against bacteria such as meningococcus (they cause meningitis) or pneumococcus (they cause respiratory infections), which can cause sepsis, but these are just two of the potential contamination factors.

Sepsis is a very serious medical problem. In the European Union, 146 die every year from sepsis. sick, in the UK alone, its death rate ranges from 30 to 50 / 100 per year, placing it in the top ten leading causes of death. In the treatment of sepsis, the most important and the most difficult problem that determines the effectiveness of therapy and, consequently, the costs and time of hospitalization, is the effective diagnosis of infectious agents causing a systemic inflammatory response.

Is not possible elimination of sepsis, but the introduction of restrictive control of nosocomial infections, compliance with medical procedures, the introduction of a policy of rational antibiotic therapy and not saving on laboratory diagnostics will reduce the number of new cases of sepsis and increase the chances of successful treatment of patients.

Sepsis – a new detection technology

In Poland and Europe, from January 2016, we can use a new diagnostic technology that helps to quickly detect sepsis markers (procalcitonin). This is great news for all patients and doctors. Previously, such tests were performed only in large hospitals with well-equipped laboratories. Currently, the test is carried out using an apparatus called the Labgeo IB-10. It is a miniaturized device that measures the amount of procalcitonin: in the emergency room, in the doctor’s office, in the clinic and even in an ambulance! We get the result about 20 minutes after blood collection. Clinical trials have confirmed the effectiveness and reliability of the Labgeo IB-10.

Infection can be caused by virtually any microorganism that for some reason enters the body where it should not be, such as a wound, lungs, paranasal sinuses or bloodstream. If the infection spreads, infection will eventually become generalized and sepsis will ensue.

What can we get infected? It can only be bacteria, fungi or viruses that can cause sepsis as a consequence. So it is not possible to catch sepsis! Bacteria that can cause disease developmentare among others: streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci or E.coli. Among the fungi it is Candida albicans for viruses – the ones that cause hemorrhagic fever. Probably many patients wonder if it exists sepsis vaccine. Unfortunately not. You can, however, be vaccinated against certain bacteria, for example against pneumococci.

Read also:

1. Blood infection – causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of bacteremia
2. Invasive meningococcal disease (IChM) – causes, treatment
3. Staphylococcal infection