Acute sepsis is a sudden bacterial infection in the blood that can damage vital organs if not treated promptly. Symptoms include fever, rapid breathing and heart rate, and gangrene in severe cases. Treatment includes antibiotics and intravenous fluids. Elderly, children, and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk.
Acute sepsis is the sudden onset of a bacterial infection in the blood that disrupts the normal function of the immune system and can damage the body’s vital organs if not treated promptly. When acute sepsis invades the body, the patient’s immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs, which can lead to severe sepsis or septic shock, both of which are considered serious medical conditions that could lead to death. Acute sepsis commonly infects people in the hospital, especially those in the intensive care unit after surgery.
Patients usually recover from acute sepsis if it is diagnosed and treated when symptoms first appear. If the condition progresses to severe sepsis, about half of those infected die when the body goes into septic shock. Clots that form in small blood vessels can cut off the oxygen supply to the kidneys, brain, and heart.
The body’s immune system normally produces inflammation to fight infection where it appears. When acute sepsis occurs, the inflammation is not limited to the infected area, but the whole body becomes inflamed. If the inflammation spreads, the body is unable to break up the clots that form in the blood vessels. The supply of oxygen-rich blood decreases during this stage of the disease.
Symptoms of acute sepsis include a high or low fever, above 101.3°F (38.5°C) or below 95°F (35°C). The presence of infection can be detected by blood tests. A patient’s breathing could speed up to more than 20 breaths per minute, and their heart rate typically exceeds 90 beats per minute. In severe cases, gangrene occurs in the extremities from lack of blood flow. If the blood clots reach vital organs, they begin to die down.
Treatment includes intravenous fluids and antibiotics to stop the bacteria from spreading. Doctors commonly work to lower the heart rate and provide oxygen to help the patient breathe. The drugs can also be used to raise the patient’s blood pressure if it drops too low. People suffering from sepsis are usually hooked up to machines to monitor their vital signs.
The elderly and children face a higher risk of acute sepsis, especially if they are hospitalized with a serious condition that requires a breathing tube. Patients with a compromised immune system from an unrelated condition also face a higher risk of developing a bacterial infection. Those with pneumonia, diabetes and cancer, along with people suffering from large wounds or burns, are more likely to get sepsis. There is also a genetic factor that increases the risk, especially for black men.
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