Pneumonia can lead to septic shock, causing organ failure and death. Symptoms include chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. Antibiotics can clear up pneumonia, but septic shock is a medical emergency requiring quick treatment, including identifying the cause of infection and addressing hypoxia and hypotension. Risk factors include alcoholism, smoking, and contact with certain animals.
Septic shock is one of the complications that can occur when pneumonia goes uncontrolled. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and can cause inflammation of the small air sacs, or alveoli. It can be caused by agents such as fungi, parasites and bacteria. Septic shock can occur when bacteria cut off blood circulation and blood seeps through the vessel walls causing the tissue to swell. The combination of pneumonia and septic shock can lead to organ failure and even death.
Some of the symptoms when pneumonia and septic shock occur in the body include chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The condition can be more pronounced in those who are older and have heart problems, as well as in smokers. Antibiotics usually clear up pneumonia, however, septic shock can come on quickly when patients don’t respond to treatments. Doctors can diagnose the problem by taking X-rays and checking sputum. This refers to the mucus and saliva expelled from the airways during coughing fits.
Septic shock is considered a medical and curative emergency and it is essential to manage it quickly. Doctors typically treat this condition by first correcting the hypoxia. This is when there is not enough oxygen reaching the body tissues. Hypotension, which is extremely low blood pressure, will also be addressed quickly. Your doctor will then try to identify the exact reason for your infection and may treat it with antimicrobial medications or even surgery.
An X-ray taken when pneumonia and septic shock are suspected can sometimes indicate fluid in the lungs. This condition is called pulmonary edema and occurs when fluid leaks from blood vessels into surrounding tissue. Further management of septic shock includes appropriate ventilation measures, especially for those patients who are experiencing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Patients may also be treated with corticosteroids, which are steroid hormones typically used to treat asthma. Steroids work to reduce inflammation.
Although bacteria are the typical cause of pneumonia and septic shock, there are other risk factors for this condition. Alcoholism, smoking, and contact with certain animals are all associated with various types of pneumonia. Other strains of the virus can include viral pneumonia, fungal pneumonia, and parasitic pneumonia. The herpes simplex virus can also cause pneumonia to develop, although this is rare. Fungal pneumonia is also rare, but can occur in people with weakened immune systems.
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