What is Septicemia?
Septicemia, alternately known as “blood poisoning,” is identified by the incidence of bacteria in the blood. In turn, the presence of bacteria in the blood is known as bacteremia. Although it is generally a bacterial infection, fungi and other organisms can also cause septicemia to arise. It is a severe and pervasive infection that develops very quickly and can become life threatening. The occurrence of inflammation and blood clotting in septicemia reduces the flow of blood to internal organs. This leaves the organs deprived of necessary oxygen and nutrients and can lead to organ failure. It occurs in approximately one to two percent of all hospitalizations in the United States.
What are the Causes of Septicemia?
Septicemia develops as the result of an infection somewhere else in the body that leads to an increase of bacteria in the blood. The most common areas of the body that it arises from include infections of the urinary tract, abdomen, and lungs. One of the reasons women are more susceptible to septicemia is the increased risk of developing a urinary tract infection during pregnancy and childbirth. There are also other complications during childbirth that could bring about a number of infections that may eventually become unmanageable. Other areas of the body where infections can grow to the point of sepsis are infections of the bones (osteomyelitis), of the heart (endocarditis), and the central nervous system (meningitis).
Signs & Symptoms
Some of the more common beginning symptoms of septicemia include fevers that suddenly spike, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate, and chills; there may also be a sudden decrease in blood pressure and urine output or no urine output at all. Any of these symptoms can quickly advance to shock with either a rapid rise in body temperature or a sudden decline in body temperature (hypothermia).
Other signs comprise of changes in the mental condition, such as confusion, and problems with blood clotting. Blood clotting issues will often appear in the form of specific types of spots on the skin. This condition is known as ecchymosis or petechiae. All of these symptoms are associated with the chemicals the body produces during its immune response to immense infectivity.
Tests & Procedures
The first tests usually performed will be a complete physical examination, whereupon body temperature and blood pressure are observed. Blood tests including a blood culture, CBC (complete blood count), platelet counts, studies to determine blood clotting abilities, and blood gases tests will be done in order to confirm any suspected infections. A sample of cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF culture) is usually taken, as is a urine culture to determine any signs of associated diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia, or cellulites. If there are lesions on the skin, biopsies of these will also be taken to determine their cause, origin, and treatment options.
Treatment & Prevention
A diagnosis of septicemia is very serious and requires that the patient stay in the hospital, usually in the intensive care unit (ICU) to receive treatment. Treatment generally includes intravenous antibiotics and fluids to maintain blood pressure and treat infections, oxygen to maintain oxygen saturation in the blood, and plasma or other blood products to adjust for any loss due to abnormalities in the clotting process.
Septicemia can be prevented with the use of certain vaccines. Two vaccines that have already proven to reduce the number of cases of septicemia in children are the Haemophilus influenza B (HIB) and the S. pneumoniae vaccine. Both of these childhood immunizations are recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Sources
Daniels, Ron, and Tim Nutbeam. ABC of Sepsis (ABC Series). London, England, UK: BMJ Books; 1st Edition, 2010.
Ely, E. Wesley, and Gordon R. Bernard. Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Sepsis. Newtown, PA: Handbooks in Health Care Company; 1st Edition, 2005.
Vorvick, Linda. PubMed Health. “Septicemia: Blood Poisoning; Bacteremia with Sepsis.” Reviewed on 28 August 1999. Date Accessed 13 June 2011.
