Blood poisoning, also known as septicemia or sepsis, occurs when the bloodstream becomes infected by bacteria (i.e., staphylococci, streptococci) or fungi introduced through a wound, abscess, or other injury. Septicemia may also originate from a localized infection in the body.
Over 600,000 cases of septicemia occur in the United States each year, and approximately two-thirds of these cases are diagnosed in hospitalized patients. Septicemia is an extremely dangerous disorder because it spreads rapidly throughout the body. If bacteria continue to multiply in the bloodstream and the condition progresses to septic shock, blood pressure plummets and organ systems begin to shut down. Septic shock leads to multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and may result in death. Although the mortality rate of patients with sepsis has dropped from 31% in 1979 to 17.4% in 1999, over 100,000 sepsis patients die in the United States each year. Men are more likely than women to develop sepsis, and the prevalence rate among African Americans is twice the rate seen in Caucasians.
A septic infection can originate in any wound, including burns, cuts, punctures, scrapes, abscesses, or a soft tissue infection. It can also start as a specific infection such as a sinus infection or appendicitis. Invasive surgical procedures and medical devices, such as catheters, vascular access grafts, and intravenous lines, also carry a risk of introducing bacteria to the bloodstream if not properly cleaned and cared for. A large percentage of septicemia patients contract the infection in a hospital setting.
Septicemia symptoms include:
Septic shock can occur when septicemia is not treated adequately or quickly enough. Symptoms of septic shock include:
There are some known risk factors for developing septicemia. These include:
|
|
Author Info: Paula Ford-Martin, Rebecca J. Frey PhD, The Gale Group Inc., Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, 2005 |