At the end of a severe virus developing in any part of the body, problems may occur in organs and tissues with the violent reaction of the immune system. This important situation, which goes from single or multiple organ failure to loss of life, is called sepsis. This condition, which develops with the mixing of microorganisms into the blood, is also referred to as blood poisoning. Sepsis, which develops due to all kinds of viruses, is a life-threatening condition, and the earlier the treatment process, the more likely it is that the damage to the organs can be prevented.
Sepsis occurs when bacteria that have a cause in the body enter the bloodstream and the body's immune system shows a fierce defense against these viruses. Under normal circumstances, the body develops an immune response against bacteria and viruses that enter the bloodstream. However, when this response is sometimes much stronger than it should be, it can damage organs and tissues. In severe cases of sepsis, the whole body becomes inflamed and can lead to a condition called septic shock, which can also cause a significant drop in blood pressure, which can result in death. Antibiotic treatment and intravenous fluids should be administered immediately, as many infections can result in sepsis. Individuals with a weak immune system, pregnant women, children under 1 year of age and adults over 60 are more likely to develop this condition than others.
Who Can Get Sepsis?
Sepsis is seen due to infections, so this condition can be seen in almost every person. However, sepsis is most common in pregnant women, the elderly, children under 1 year of age, people with weakened immune systems, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney or lung disease or cancer, and carries the danger of progression to severe septic shock in these people.
Antibiotics and intravenous fluids are used to treat sepsis, and prompt treatment increases the likelihood of survival.
What Causes Sepsis?
Many infections can play various roles in the occurrence of sepsis. The most common of these are urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, abdominal infections and skin infections. The likelihood of sepsis is particularly high in older people. Wounds on the body after surgical procedures are among the risk factors of sepsis. In addition to these, the resistance that bacteria develop against antibiotics due to reasons such as using antibiotics inappropriately, not finishing antibiotics completely, causes infections to be prevented from being kept under control. This increases the risk of sepsis. Immunosuppressive drugs administered to treat certain conditions or to help the body accept the transplanted organ in cases such as organ transplantation also weaken the immune system, making it easier for infections to cause sepsis. Children under 1 year of age, pregnant women, chronically ill and elderly people are in the risk group for sepsis.
What are the complications that can occur with sepsis?
Sepsis is a very important and life-threatening disease. The disease should be treated without wasting too much time. Symptoms of this disease may not show themselves easily. Therefore, even the slightest infection should be taken into consideration. As the symptoms worsen, blood flow to vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys may be impaired. In addition, due to sepsis, blood clots can be seen in the organs and arms, legs, fingers and toes.
Is sepsis contagious?
Sepsis is not something that goes away on its own, but the infection that causes sepsis is contagious, although it may not cause sepsis in the individuals it is passed to. In many cases, people can survive mild sepsis. However, if the situation is at the level of septic shock, the death rate of people has been evaluated as approximately 40 percent.
What are the Symptoms and Types of Sepsis?
In severe infections, the symptoms of sepsis are not fully clear. For this reason, sepsis can be confused with different symptoms that occur due to infections. Any kind of infection, diagnosed or undiagnosed, creates the possibility for sepsis to develop. It consists of 3 different stages: severe sepsis and septic shock . The most common symptoms are
- Fever above 38 degrees Celsius
- Heart rate above 90 beats per minute
- Respiratory rate above 20 breaths in 60 minutes
- Chills and shivering
- Shortness of breath
People with a specific infection or suspected infection in their body should definitely go to hospital when these symptoms are observed. If sepsis is not under control, the second part, severe sepsis, develops. The most common symptoms that occur with this are as follows;
- Decreased urination, burning and pain
- Pale and mottled skin
- Clouding of the mind
- Decreased levels of platelets in the blood
- Impaired respiratory function and shortness of breath
- Disruption of heart rhythm rate
- Decrease in body temperature
- Intense weight loss
In cases of septic shock, which is the last stage of sepsis, in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, an abnormal decrease in blood pressure and an increase in lactic acid in the blood are observed. In this stage, organ failures can be seen.
How is Sepsis Diagnosed?
The presence of several symptoms of sepsis in a person indicates that sepsis should be suspected. In people who go to health institutions with these symptoms, the history of the sick person should be taken by the specialist and various diagnostic tests may be requested after the physical controls to be applied.
The first of these is blood tests. The blood is checked for viruses and virus symptoms. This is followed by blood tests for coagulation problems, oxygen levels, liver and kidney function, water and electrolyte levels and blood pH. After examining the symptoms and blood values together, the specialist may order further tests if necessary. The bacteria in the urine must also be examined. Therefore, urine tests, wound and mucus secretion tests may also be performed to investigate the cause of the infection.
At the end of the tests, the form and level of symptoms in patients diagnosed with sepsis can be determined and the stage of the disease can be determined. At the end of the existing findings, the treatment process should be planned and the necessary procedures should be taken to protect organ functions.
How to Treat Sepsis?
In the event that sepsis is detected at an early stage and therefore cannot be treated, septic shock is observed and the disease may result in death. In order to prevent the disease from developing to this stage, patients who apply to health institutions with sepsis symptoms and are diagnosed with sepsis are generally treated with the following drugs for treatment;
- Drugs that increase low blood pressure
- Antibiotics used to prevent infections
- Insulin injection
- Pain medication
In addition to the use of these medicines, in cases of severe sepsis, it may be necessary to add fluids intravenously. After the condition is kept under control and the symptoms caused by the infection are eliminated, sick people should remain under control for a certain period of time. The treatment against problems in organs and tissues is planned in detail by the specialist. Sepsis is a very important health problem and necessary precautions should be taken. Therefore, every infection must be taken into account and treated on time.