Blood Poisoning Health Article

Definition

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.

Description

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.

Causes & symptoms

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:

• elevated white blood cell count
• fever and chills
• rapid breathing
• sudden drop in blood pressure
• tachycardia (a rapid, pounding heartbeat)
• confusion and possible loss of consciousness
• warm, flushed skin
• skin irregularities, such as subcutaneous red lines, swelling, bleeding under the skin, or necrosis (tissue death)

Septic shock can occur when septicemia is not treated adequately or quickly enough. Symptoms of septic shock include:

• a severe drop in blood pressure (systolic pressure less than 90 mmHG and/or less than 40 mmHG of the patient's baseline blood pressure)
• organ dysfunction (such as renal, or kidney, failure) due to reduced blood flow to the organ systems
• loss of consciousness

There are some known risk factors for developing septicemia. These include:

• Having a chronic disorder or disease. The body has a difficult time fighting infection if the immune system is already weakened.
• Use of immunosuppressive drugs. These drugs also weaken the immune system.
• Taking intravenous medications or drugs. Needles can introduce infectious organisms into the bloodstream if not used in a sterile manner.