Sepsis: What it is and how to detect the emergency that causes a death every 2.8 seconds

It is possible that by the name you do not know exactly what we are talking about, although the word “sepsis” surely sounds familiar to you.

But surely the figures of this ailment will not leave you indifferent and will quickly arouse your interest.

  • Sepsis causes one death every 2.8 seconds.

  • Almost 50 million people suffer from it annually.

  • It is the leading cause of hospital death

  • The first hospital readmission

  • Up to 50% of survivors suffer long-term physical and/or psychological sequelae.

And despite everything, it continues to be a great unknown and hospital protocols for its early detection and management are still not as widespread as would be desirable.

What is sepsis or septicemia

In quick and easily understandable words, we could say that sepsis is our own body’s response to an infection. But a response that seriously damages our own tissues and organs.

And for a more exact explanation, nothing better than the words of the .

  • “It is a complex disease secondary to an infection that can lead to multi-organ dysfunction and death; a medical emergency that requires immediate attention and is associated with a serious health and economic burden, both for the patient and for health systems around the world. the planet”.

Taking into account that this pathology, caused by an exaggerated immune response to infection, causes 11 million deaths a year, specialists recall the importance of advancing in its study, control and treatment. And Spanish intensivists have been working on this task for decades.

Sepsis: Color scanning electron micrograph of bacteria Tina Carvalho, University of Hawaii at Manoa

symptoms of sepsis

One of the problems with detecting sepsis is that some of its symptoms can be confused with a ‘normal’ infection.

That is why it is important to know that there are people who are especially susceptible to sepsis. Among them:

  • older people

  • diabetics

  • Immunocompromised patients.

In addition, there are certain ones that are more likely to lead to sepsis:

  • Respiratory infections such as pneumonia

  • intestinal infections

  • Urinary tract infections.

Taking these conditions into account, the signs that can alert us that septicemia is occurring are:

  • Increased heart rate above 90 beats.

  • Difficulties breathing.

  • Body temperature can be above 38ºC or drop below 36ºC.

  • hypotension

  • Nausea or vomiting.

  • Decreased volume of urine.

  • Drowsiness, confusion and even loss of consciousness.

When what is called septic shock occurs

As he explains:

Sepsis or septicemia is a serious medical condition, caused by a sudden immune response to an infection.

The body releases immune chemicals into the blood to fight infection, but these chemicals trigger widespread inflammation, which instead of healing causes blood clots and leaky blood vessels.

As a result, blood circulation is disturbed which, in turn, deprives the organs of nutrients and oxygen, and causes organ damage.

In severe cases, failure of one or several organs occurs.

And in the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient rushes into septic shock.

Once this happens, various organs (lungs, kidneys, liver) can quickly stop working and the patient can die.

Sepsis is one of the biggest challenges in hospitals, where it is one of the leading causes of death.

Sepsis occurs unpredictably and can progress rapidly.

Septicemia or sepsis is mostly caused by bacteria. Janice Carr

What causes sepsis?

Continuing with the NIH explanation: There are many types of microbes that can cause sepsis, including:

  • Bacteria, which cause most cases

  • Fungus

  • Virus.

Often, severe cases of sepsis are the result of a widespread infection that spreads throughout the body through the bloodstream. In some cases, the infection cannot be detected in the bloodstream, and doctors rely on other information, such as body temperature and mental status, to diagnose sepsis.

Sepsis is often the result of infections in the:

  • Lungs

  • Stomach

  • The kidneys

  • The bladder.

And sometimes sepsis can occur in people who didn’t know they had an infection.

Who can get sepsis

Most of the time, sepsis occurs in people who are hospitalized or have recently been hospitalized.

Specifically, people in an intensive care unit are more likely to contract infections that can lead to sepsis.

But it mainly affects:

    …

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