Sepsis or blood infection is a serious condition. Without proper medical assistance, you can face life-threatening complications. It is usually triggered by your bodyâ€™s response to an infection. Blood infection develops due to your bodyâ€™s response to infection becoming out of balance. The abnormal release of chemicals to fight the infection can trigger severe changes in the body. These changes damage multiple organ systems. Without medical intervention, blood infection can progress to septic shock. The condition causes your blood pressure levels to go low drastically. It leads to death.

About Sepsis

Sepsis is the condition occurring as a result of the massive immune system response to a bacterial infection developing in your body. When the bacterial infection gets into your bloodstream, you can suffer from a blood infection. The condition often leads to organ failure. Blood infection can happen to anyone. But, it is common and dangerous in the following people:

Children younger than one year
Older adults
People suffering from chronic health issues (like cancer, lung disease, kidney problem, or diabetes)
Pregnant women
People with compromised or weak immune systems

For better results, early medical intervention is necessary. When the affected person gets treatment with large amounts of intravenous fluids and antibiotics, the chances of survival improve.

Symptoms Associated With Sepsis

As it is important to get medical treatment immediately to prevent complications, you need to observe the signs of blood infection. If you suffer from any infection or suspect it, monitor the changes in the body closely. Go to the emergency room immediately when you see one or more symptoms.

Change in mental status
Systolic pressure (the first or upper number in the blood pressure reading) is less than or equal to 100 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury)
Your respiratory rate is higher than or equal to (>=) twenty-two breaths a minute

Signs And Symptoms Of Septic Shock

Without proper treatment, blood infection can progress into septic shock. It occurs due to certain changes in the affected personâ€™s circulatory system, the cells in the body and the way the body uses energy becomes severely abnormal. Sepsis may not cause death, but septic shock can. Most people who succumb to death when they suffer from blood infection face the complication due to septic shock. For a conclusive diagnosis of septic shock, you must suffer from confirmed or suspected infection along with the following conditions:

You require medications to maintain blood pressure as they measure greater than or equal to (>=) 65 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury).
Your blood shows high levels of lactic acid (serum lactate) even after receiving the adequate fluid replacement. The high levels of lactic acid in the blood means the cells in your body are not using oxygen properly.

See A Doctor For Sepsis

In most cases, blood infection develops in people who are already hospitalized or are admitted to the hospital recently. The condition usually affects people who are in the intensive care unit as they are more vulnerable to develop an infection, which results in sepsis. If you see the signs and symptoms associated with a blood infection after undergoing surgery or after getting admitted to the hospital, then immediate medical care is required.

Causes Of Sepsis

A blood infection is commonly caused by bacterial infections. It can also develop due to parasitic, fungal, or viral infections. The exact source of the infection can occur in any number of places throughout your body. The common sites and types of infection resulting in sepsis include:

The Lungs

Infections affecting lungs like pneumonia can result in a blood infection.

The Central Nervous System

When bacterial, viral, or fungal infections affect your spinal cord or brain, then you can suffer from sepsis.

The Abdomen

Infections can affect different organs in the abdominal region. The common issues resulting in blood infection are:

Appendicitis (An infection affecting the appendix)
Bowel problems
Liver infections
Gall bladder infection
Peritonitis (abdominal cavity infection)

The Skin

When you injure or develop a wound, the bacteria can enter the skin through these opening. It can also enter when you suffer from skin inflammation as well as the openings made with the intravenous (IV) catheters (tubes inserted for giving or draining fluids). Skin conditions like cellulitis (the inflammation developing in the skinâ€™s connective tissue) can also result in sepsis.

The Urinary Tract

Infections developing in the urinary tract can result in the condition. So, if you suffer from infections in your kidneys or bladder, then the chances of developing septic shock increases. The chances are high in patients who have urinary catheters to drain urine from the bladder.

Risk Factors Associated With Sepsis

Blood infection and related septic shock are common in some people. The factors making you vulnerable to the condition are:

If you are very young or very old
Suffer from cirrhosis or diabetes
Have a compromised immune system
If you suffer from serious illness and often stay in the intensive care unit of a hospital
Suffer from severe wounds or injuries (like burns)
You have previously received corticosteroids or antibiotics
Have invasive devices like breathing tubes or intravenous catheters

Complications Associated With Sepsis

Blood infection can trigger less to severe complications. The common complications associated with the condition are:

Multi-Organ Failure

When the blood infection worsens, it interrupts the blood flow to vital organs. So, you can see the impairment of one or more of the vital organs like:

Kidneys
Heart
Brain

Due to the lack of proper blood flow, the affected person experiences multi-organ failure, resulting in the death of the patient.

Tissue Death

When you suffer from a blood infection, it can result in blood clots to form in your arms, fingers, legs, and toes. It can result in varying degrees of organ failure and tissue death (also known as gangrene).

Most people suffering from a mild form of blood infection can recover from it. Mild forms have a mortality rate of around 40%. But, severe sepsis can cause life-threatening complications or place you at a higher risk of infection in the future.

Diagnosing Sepsis

Unlike other diseases or conditions like kidney stones or diabetes, no specific test is available to confirm blood infection. So, the doctor makes the diagnosis by conducting several tests.

Evaluating Symptoms

When you suffer from symptoms like fever, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, and difficulty breathing, then you need to go to the hospital immediately. After getting the preliminary medical assistance, the doctor orders several tests to try to pinpoint the underlying infection. Here are some of the tests used to detect the condition.

Blood Test To Detect Sepsis

Blood tests help your healthcare provider learn many things about the body. Form the possibility of suffering from infection to how the organs work in the body, the blood test can reveal several things. While none of the tests can diagnose blood infection conclusively, the combines the results of different tests can offer information about the illness. Your doctor draws a sample of your blood from two distinct sites. It is tested for the following:

Any evidence of infection
Abnormal kidney or liver function
Problems with clotting
Impaired oxygen availability
Evidence of electrolyte imbalances

Other Laboratory Tests

Based on the symptoms, your doctor can also run other tests on one or more of the bodily fluids. The tests used to detect the condition are:

Urine

If the doctor suspects urinary tract infection, then the urine is tested to detect the signs of bacteria.

Wound Secretions

Some people can suffer from blood infection due to a wound. So, if you have wounds that show signs of infection, then the doctor takes a sample of the secretions from the wound. Based on the test, the doctor can figure out the right type of antibiotic that will work the best.

Respiratory Secretions

The doctor suggests testing of sputum or mucus if they experience a cough. It helps test the germ triggering the lung infection.

Imaging Tests

These tests are necessary when the site of infection is not obviously visible. So, one or more of the imaging tests will help reveal the internal organs and detect the exact source of infection. The tests suggested are:

X-ray

X-ray is the imaging technique used to visualize the problem in the lungs. So, the doctor can detect if you are suffering from an infection in the lungs.

Computerized Tomography (CT)

When a person suffers infection in the pancreas or appendix, then x-rays images may not offer any assistance. So, advanced imaging techniques like CT scans can offer assistance in diagnosing the problem. CT scans take several x-ray images of the organ from a variety of angles. It is combined to get cross-sectional slices of internal structures in the body.

Ultrasound

When you suffer infection in the abdominal region like ovaries or gallbladder, the doctor suggests ultrasound. Using this method, sound waves produces real-time images, which the doctor views on a video monitor.

Â Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRIs may be helpful in identifying soft tissue infections. This technology uses radio waves and a strong magnet to produce cross-sectional images of the internal structures of your body.

Treatment For Sepsis

Blood infection requires aggressive treatment. With early intervention and proper care, the chances of surviving the condition increases. If a person suffers from a blood infection, then they require close monitoring and treatment in a healthcare facility. The condition is treated in the hospitalâ€™s intensive care unit. So, if you suffer from blood infection or septic shock, medical intervention is needed to stabilize your breathing as well as heart function. Here are the steps adopted by the healthcare facility to manage the condition:

Medications To Treat Sepsis

Several medications are helpful in treating blood infection as well as septic shock. The common medications used are:

Antibiotics

You need to get treatment for infections with antibiotics immediately. In the initial phase, a person affected by blood infection receives broad-spectrum antibiotics. These medications are effective against a wide variety of bacteria. You receive the medication intravenously in the hospital. As the results of your blood tests come out, the doctor switched to a different medication (antibiotic). This medication targets particular bacteria affecting the body. So, it helps fight the pathogen triggering the infection.

Intravenous Fluids

People who are hospitalized for blood infection receive intravenous fluids as soon as they reach the hospital. It is important to provide the fluids intravenously within three hours. In normal cases, intravenous crystalloid fluid is provided for fluid resuscitation. Also, fluid is administered to manage hypotension.

Vasopressors

When your blood pressure remains at a dangerously low level even after getting the intravenous fluids, then the doctor gives vasopressor medication. It is the medication constricting your blood vessels to increase the blood pressure.

Other Medications

You also receive other medications to prevent complications due to other underlying conditions. Here is the list:

Low doses of corticosteroids prevent septic shock
Insulin for managing blood sugar levels and keep them stable
Drugs to modify the response of the immune system
Painkillers or sedatives to control the distress caused by the condition

Supportive Care

People affected by blood infection need supportive care. So, they need oxygen to breathe properly. Depending on the personâ€™s condition, a machine is required (ventilator) to help with breathing. In some cases, people suffer from kidney damage. Therefore, they need dialysis to avoid complications.

Surgery To Manage Sepsis

Surgery is required to remove the infection sources. So, a procedure is required to remove the following:

Infected gangrene or tissues
Abscesses (collections of pus)

Is It Possible To Recover From Sepsis?

Most people think suffering from sepsis means the end of their life. It is not the case always. Depending on the severity of the condition along with the presence of any preexisting condition, your recovery rates vary. Most people who survive from blood infection recover completely. Unfortunately, some people experience long-lasting effects due to the condition. According to several studies, patients who have survived blood infection take more than eighteen months to feel like their normal self. Also, many of the survivors of the blood infection deal with post-sepsis syndrome (PSS). The condition can cause long-term effects like:

Insomnia
Damaged organs
Fatigue
Nightmares
Disabling joint and muscle pain
Low self-esteem
Poor concentration
Reduced cognitive functioning
Severe cases can result in death

Sepsis Prevention

Sepsis is preventable when you avoid catching any infection. Infection prevention is the ideal step to reduce the risk of blood infection. With care and caution, your body can prevent the deadly response to the infection. Since blood infection and septic shock results from an infection developing in anywhere in the body like urinary tract infection, influenza, or pneumonia. So, here are some steps needed for preventing the condition from affecting your body:

Get Necessary Vaccination

Viral infections like chickenpox, influenza (the flu), HIV, and chickenpox are caused by viruses. Do you know that viruses are harmful microscopic organisms that can only live inside a living host? So, these harmful viruses live inside humans. While the characteristics of each virus differ, the common aspect of every virus is that it cannot survive outside a living host for long. In normal cases, when a virus attacks your body, the immune system produces antibodies to keep you from catching the same illness again. So, you develop immunity to the disease. Vaccination is developed with the same concept.

You have to take vaccination for preventing many viruses like tetanus, chickenpox (varicella), and polio. When you take the vaccination (also known as immunization), they trick your body into thinking that the virus has attacked the body. So, your immune system starts producing antibodies to prevent catching the actual illness.

Caring For Wounds To Prevent Sepsis

When you get injured, irrespective of the size of the injury, bacteria can enter your body. So, a small cut or break in the skin can cause infection as it gives the harmful pathogens a chance to enter your bloodstream. So, you need to prevent such infection by taking good care of wounds. Cleans small or large wounds as quickly as possible. Keep them clean and monitor them for infection. Proper wound healing will eliminate the chances of infection. Here are some steps you need to follow for better wound healing:

Clean Open Wounds

Wash your hands with soap and water before cleaning or touching the open wound. Try to wear clean disposable gloves before cleaning the wounds.
Check the status of the wound. If it has jagged edges or seems deep, then it needs stitches. So, you need to see your doctor as early as possible to get the stitches. At the hospital, you will receive instructions on how to take care of the wound. Follow them without fail.
If your wound is not deep and needs no stitches, then you can take care of it at home. Rinse the surrounding area with clean or sterile water (avoid soapy water). You can gently run water over the wound to remove debris or dirt stuck inside the wound. If you suspect any debris is stuck inside, then get medical assistance.
If needed, you can apply antibiotic ointment or cream.
To protect from dirt or debris, you can cover the wound.

Monitor For Infection

You need to watch signs of infection. Here are some of the symptoms indicating the presence of infection:

Redness around the wound
Discharge from the wound
The skin surrounding the wound feels warm to touch
Increase in pain

If you see such symptoms, then it indicates the presence of infection, which requires immediate medical attention.

Manage Blisters

If you develop a blister, then you must never pop or break it. Blisters act as a protective barrier from developing an infection. It is a natural prevention tool. So, when you break or pop it, harmful pathogens can enter your body through the opening in the skin. If your blister breaks open, then take steps to keep the area clean. Also, monitor the area closely for any signs of infection.

Infection Prevention Through Hand Washing

Washing hands holds great significance in preventing infection. While it seems like a simple task that all people do every day, it helps eliminate the harmful pathogens from your hands. So, you need to wash several times a day. But, following the right technique is necessary for effective results. While washing your hands, you need to wet your hands and lather with soap. Then, rub between each finger and under the nails for at least twenty seconds before washing it off. Then, dry the hands thoroughly with a clean towel.

When you are using a hand sanitizer, then you have to follow the same motions of rubbing the hands together. Never avoid the areas between the fingers as well as the tops of the hands. Try not to leave your thumb while using the hand sanitizer. You need to allow your hands to dry. Only after drying, you must touch objects.

Handwashing Vs Hand Sanitizers

The ongoing debate among people is whether they need to use soap and water to clean their hands or use a waterless hand sanitizer. If your dirt and grime on your hands, then using soap and water is the ideal option to eliminate harmful pathogens from the hand surface. Hand sanitizer is a good choice when your hands are not visibly dirty. It will eliminate harmful pathogens. So, you can use it when you have no soap and water available or you are in a hurry.

Teach Children To Wash Hands

You need to teach your child to wash their hands properly. Most kids feel washing hands is not an important task. While the recent coronavirus infection has changed the perception to an extent, you need to help your child understand the importance of washing their hands. Teach them the right technique to wash their hands properly with soap and water. Also, tell them when they should wash their hands. It is important to clear the pathogens from hands before and after performing the following:

Using toilet
Eating
Touching their face/nose/mouth

Children may not realize the importance of washing their hands. Parents need to help them understand the significance of washing hands to prevent infections. Also, try to make it habit to follow proper handwashing techniques and the right time to wash their hands.

These preventive steps can help you save your life and avoid getting blood infection. If you develop the problem in spite of such precautions, then get immediate medical assistance. With early medical intervention, you can expect a better outcome.

Conclusion

Sepsis is a medical emergency. So, you need to get a prompt medical intervention to prevent fatal complications. Since every minute and hour is precious due to the quick spread of infection, you need immediate care. People suffering from the condition may not suffer from one specific symptom, but observe a combination of symptoms. Therefore, if you suspect blood infection, get medical attention. Go to the emergency room to get the proper care.

References

https://www.healthline.com/health/sepsis

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/305782#:~:text=Sepsis%20is%20the%20result%20of,develop%20this%20%E2%80%9Cblood%20poisoning.%E2%80%9D

https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/what-is-sepsis.html