Septic shock is a dangerous condition that develops from septicemia , sometimes calledsepsis or blood poisoning. Septicemia is caused by infectious microbes in the bloodstream. Shock is a condition in which the blood fails to circulate properly in the body. Septic shock is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Cause.
Sepsis occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream. It can develop in hospital patients after medical treatment. It can also result from a small cut or scratch that enables bacteria to enter the body. Sepsis may also occur when an infection breaks through the body’s defenses to spread throughout the body. This quick and widespread infection can invade various organs. The symptoms of sepsis include chills, fever , and weakness. Among some patients, the blood fails to clot normally, causing a rash or bleeding . The symptoms are caused in part by the powerful reaction of the body’s immune system to the microbes in the bloodstream.
Septic shock is severe sepsis. Patients experience a sudden drop in blood pressure . The inability to maintain blood pressure starves the body’s organs, tissues, and limbs of vital oxygen. The result can be organ malfunction and failure. Confusion and other changes in mental state are often an early sign of septic shock. People in septic shock may have a fever but later develop hypothermia (decrease in body temperature ). Rapid heartbeat, decreased urination, and red patches on the skin also occur.
Treatment.
Septic shock is often fatal if not treated promptly. Doctors provide intravenous fluids to help maintain blood pressure and large doses of antibiotics to combat the infection. If organ failure has occurred, patients may require oxygen and mechanical ventilation for breathing or dialysis for kidney failure. Limbs damaged by lack of oxygen may require amputation . Residual effects of septic shock can be mild to severe, requiring months of treatment and rehabilitation.
The risk of septic shock can be reduced through measures that help prevent sepsis and through proper treatment of the underlying infection. The maintenance of strict infection control measures by medical professionals reduces the risk of introducing germs into a patient’s bloodstream.
