Sepsis - causes and signs of sepsis

Types of sepsis

Depending on the mechanism of development of the disease and the type of pathogen, sepsis can be:

• cutaneous sepsis - the development of the initial lesion is on the skin. This can be facilitated by wounds, burns, various purulent processes;
• oral or oral sepsis - the development of the initial lesion is localized in the oral cavity or pharynx;
• obstetric or gynecological sepsis - the development of the initial lesion is located in the genital area or uterus in the postpartum period or with inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs;
• otogenic sepsis - the development of the initial lesion is localized in the middle ear or near it;
• diagnostic or surgical sepsis - the primary lesion develops as a result of surgical intervention or due to the introduction of infection during diagnostic manipulations;
• cryptogenic sepsis - when the primary lesion is not determined;
• nosocomial sepsis - the primary lesion is characterized by infection dangerous microorganisms that are resistant to therapy.

When diagnosing sepsis, it is divided into:

• sepsis;
• severe sepsis;
• systemic inflammatory response syndrome;
• septic shock.

By form, the following types of sepsis are distinguished:

• acute - characterized by lightning-fast development of symptoms;
• subacute - at first, according to the clinical picture, resembles the acute form of the disease, but then the patient's condition normalizes;
• chronic - characterized by a long course of the disease.

By severity, sepsis is:

• mild severity;
• moderate severity;
• severe severity.

Causes

Causes of sepsis:

• reduced immunity (the main reason for development);
• human infection with pathogenic pathogens (streptococci, pneumococci);
• violation of histohematic barriers;
• microtrauma and damage to the mucous membranes, skin;
• violation of personal hygiene rules.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the disease depend on its type, form and severity.

Symptoms of acute sepsis:

• develops rapidly;
• rapid rise in temperature;
• fever;
• duration of fever up to a week;
• skin rash (develops in 50% of cases);
• rash looks like blisters;
• over time, the blisters increase in size and fill with pus;
• clouded consciousness;
• possible loss of consciousness;
• characterized by a fairly high mortality rate (up to 80%).

Symptoms of subacute sepsis:

• at the beginning, the disease has a similar clinical picture to acute sepsis (duration up to 3 days);
• body temperature remains at 38 C;
• consciousness is preserved;
• skin rashes often develop;
• death occurs in 40% of cases.

Symptoms of chronic sepsis:

• wave-like nature of the disease (alternating exacerbations and remissions);
• complications often develop (bacterial endocarditis, pneumonia, and others);
• long-term course of the disease (can last several years);
• mortality from 10 to 60%.

Symptoms of sepsis and systemic inflammatory reactions:

• fever;
• high or low body temperature;
• rapid heartbeat;
• changes in the number of leukocytes.

Severe sepsis is characterized by symptoms of ordinary sepsis, but to them are added:

• hypotension;
• hypoperfusion;
• dysfunction of a number of organs.

Septic shock implies a severe condition, which is characterized by a violation of the blood supply to tissues and organs. Most often it leads to death.

In addition to the symptoms of common sepsis, septic shock is characterized by the following symptoms:

• changes in blood pressure;
• confusion;
• delay in urine formation.

Diagnostics

When the first symptoms of sepsis appear, you must immediately make an appointment with an infectious disease specialist or therapist. The doctor will conduct a consultation and an initial examination. To confirm the diagnosis, the specialist will prescribe additional diagnostic tests:

• complete blood count;
• blood biochemistry;
• complete urine analysis;
• ultrasound examination of internal organs.

Treatment

Similar treatment is used for all types and forms of sepsis. To eliminate the source of infection, the following is prescribed:

• large doses of antibiotics to which certain pathogenic microorganisms are sensitive;
• vitamin therapy;
• blood transfusion;
• high-calorie nutrition;
• protein preparations;
• prescription of specific serums;
• prescription of antiseptics.

To treat purulent infection in sepsis, surgical treatment by a surgeon is necessary. During the operation, all affected tissues are excised. In the postoperative period, active osmotic ointments on a water-soluble basis are prescribed, which have pronounced sorption and antiseptic properties.

Prevention

Prevention of sepsis consists of the following:

• timely treatment of purulent processes;
• observance of aseptic conditions during diagnostic manipulations and surgical interventions;
• observance of personal hygiene rules;
• competent use of antibiotics.