Have you ever thought that your visit to the hospital for treatment of a small bacterial infection or any other disease could actually also lead to even more serious conditions like sepsis? Shocking but true, sepsis is a condition of minor or major infections and causes septic shock that can lead to serious outcomes without immediate and proper treatment.

Often sepsis is caused as a result of bacterial infection and sometimes due to serious diseases such as meningitis, urinary tract infection, appendicitis infection, pneumonia infection, and sometimes accompanying bone infection as in osteomyelitis.

 

When an infection occurs in the body, it may be caused through bacterial agents that enter your body through a small bruise, chipped cuticle, broken nail, sores, etc. In response to the bacterial or other infection, the body begins its own treatment by releasing antibodies into the bloodstream. In the case of sepsis, the chemicals in the blood cause excessive inflammation throughout the body. Very quickly, this leads to septic shock which is characterized by increased blood pressure that causes further damage of the kidneys, liver, and lungs that work closely with the chemical-high blood.
 

As a result of septic shock, increased heart and breathing rates are noticed in most patients with sepsis. Further, the bacterial infection ultimately causes blood clotting in sepsis, which leads to decreased blood flow to the lower limbs and many vital organs including the liver and the kidneys.
 

In severe cases of sepsis, this leads to failure of one or more organs. In more severe causes, septic shock can cause death as a result of sepsis within a few days.

 

People with infections that affect the immune systems (such as HIV infection) and those who already take immunosuppressant drugs are at a higher risk of facing sepsis. In addition, newborn babies and elderly people, who also have reduced immune functions, are more susceptible to bacterial infections and sepsis. Diabetes is another positive risk factor to acquire bacterial infections and requires proper treatment to prevent complications.

However, you will be surprised to know that hospitalization leads to many infections that cause sepsis. These bacterial infections are usually transmitted to the blood through surgical incisions and intravenous catheter lines. Septic shock caused as a result of infections by urinary catheters could be severe if not diagnosed immediately and subjected to treatment. Sometimes even bedsores can lead to bacterial infections that cause sepsis and septic shock.

 

Treatment options for sepsis include diagnosing the signs of sepsis and septic shock including reduced urination, low platelet and white blood cell count, low blood pressure, and altered kidney or liver metabolism.

Treatment for sepsis begins with the administration of broad spectrum antibiotics that help in control and treatment of bacterial infection. Following this, IV fluids are administered to the patients being treated for septic shock to maintain the blood pressure. Oxygen is often administered to patients undergoing sepsis treatment to maintain blood oxygen levels.

After conducting tests that exactly identify the bacterial infection, specific antibacterial drugs are used for sepsis treatment. Vasopressin drugs that constrict blood vessels may be administered to prevent septic shock.