Why does sepsis occur, what is it, and what are its symptoms? How dangerous is this condition? These questions are of interest to many, given the prevalence of such a problem. Indeed, sepsis is often diagnosed even among newborn babies.
Sepsis - what is it?
Sepsis is a process in which generalized inflammation of tissues and organs is observed. A similar condition is associated with a violation of the normal functioning of the immune system. Sepsis can be both acute and chronic.
To date, it is customary to distinguish several stages of sepsis.
- First, the pathogen (it can be a bacterium, virus or fungus), is introduced into the cells of the primary focus of inflammation.
- As they develop, the number of pathogenic microorganisms increases, as a result of which they enter the bloodstream.
- Bacteria, as a rule, release a huge amount of toxins into the blood and tissues, which affects the patient's condition.
- Pathogens quickly spread throughout the body, forming secondary foci of inflammation in the kidneys, skin, heart muscle, and spleen.
- At this stage, the immune system is activated, but the process of isolating anti-inflammatory mediators does not complete completely.
- The cells of the affected organs begin to break down, which often leads to the development of septic shock and multiple organ failure syndrome .
What are the causes of sepsis?
Syndrome of the systemic inflammatory response of the body, as a rule, is associated with the activity of pathogenic bacteria. And staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia, influenza bacilli, pseudomonads can act as a pathogen.
Activation of the infection may be associated with various factors. For example, surgical sepsis is quite common. What it is? This form of infection is most often the result of improperly performed surgical intervention. By the way, postoperative complications are often associated with the selection of ineffective antibiotics that do not inhibit the processes of reproduction and spread of the pathogen. There is also obstetric and gynecological (postpartum complication), oral, percutaneous sepsis. In some cases, the primary focus is the middle or inner ear, in such cases, the infection often affects the lining of the brain.
Sepsis can be associated with lesions of the vessels, and sometimes the organs of the genitourinary system.
The main symptoms of sepsis
The danger of the disease lies precisely in the variety of its symptoms. As a rule, systemic inflammation begins with fever and constant chills. Quite often, the first signs of sepsis appear on the skin, these are various forms of infectious-allergic dermatitis. The skin may be dry, and reddish rashes are visible on its surface. If the cause of the inflammation was surgery or skin lesions, then redness and suppuration in the wound area can be noticed.
Sepsis often affects the joints, leading to symptoms of polyarthritis. An increase in the liver and spleen is observed. Shortness of breath and tachycardia appear. In connection with tissue damage, septic shock develops, which is extremely dangerous for human life.
How to treat sepsis?
In no case should you ignore the resulting malaise. You should tell your doctor right away about the presence of disturbing symptoms. Only a specialist knows about why and how sepsis develops, what it is, and what treatment methods will be effective.
First of all, antibiotic therapy is carried out, but in this case it is important to determine which pathogens are sensitive to which antibiotics. Symptomatic treatment is also important, which depends on which organs were affected, for example, hemodialysis is performed during inflammation and suppuration of the kidneys. For the treatment of skin and mucous tissues using antiseptics, in particular a solution of Chlorophyllipt.
It should be understood that sepsis is an extremely dangerous condition. Patients need hospitalization and constant supervision of medical personnel.