SEPSIS

What is Sepsis?

Sepsis is a serious bodywide response to bacteremia or another infection plus malfunction or failure of an essential system in the body. Septic shock is life-threatening low blood pressure (shock) and organ failure due to sepsis. Usually, sepsis results from certain bacterial infections, often acquired in a hospital. Having certain conditions, such as a weakened immune system, certain chronic disorders, an artificial joint or heart valve, and certain heart valve abnormalities, increases the risk. At first, people have a high (or sometimes low) body temperature, sometimes with shaking chills and weakness. As sepsis worsens, the heart beats rapidly, breathing becomes rapid, people become confused, and blood pressure drops. Doctors suspect the diagnosis based on symptoms and confirm it by detecting bacteria in a sample of blood, urine, or other material. Antibiotics are given immediately, along with oxygen and fluids by vein and sometimes drugs to increase blood pressure.

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome of life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection. See also Septic Shock

Immunocompromised patients may have uncommon bacterial or fungal species as a cause. Signs include fever, hypotension, oliguria, and confusion. Diagnosis is primarily clinical combined with culture results showing infection; early recognition and treatment is critical. Treatment is aggressive fluid resuscitation, antibiotics, surgical excision of infected or necrotic tissue and drainage of pus, and supportive care.

Medication Treatment of Sepsis

Some of the medications used to treat RSV include:

• Antibiotics
• Fluids
• Albumin
• Boluses of Fluids or Albumin>

prevention is the name of the game

While not all infections can be prevented, particularly in people with compromised immune systems, anyone with a transplant must do all they can to avoid making contact with a person with an infection, and taking actions that lead to infections.

Sepsis can be fatal; please don't take any chances.