This begins with weakness, chills, and a rapid heart and breathing rate. Left untreated, toxins produced by bacteria can damage the small blood vessels, causing them to leak fluid into the surrounding tissues. This can affect your heart's ability to pump blood to your organs, which lowers your blood pressure and means blood doesn't reach vital organs, such as the brain and liver. Septic shock is a medical emergency.
Dial to ask for an ambulance if you think that you or someone in your care has septic shock. You'll usually be admitted to an intensive care unit ICU so your body's functions and organs can be supported while the infection is treated.
In some cases treatment may start in the emergency department. Read more about treating septic shock. These are serious health conditions that will need to be treated urgently. Septic shock can be fatal because of complications like these. It's likely you'll be admitted to an intensive care unit ICU for urgent treatment and to carefully monitor your progress.
In some cases treatment may begin in the emergency department. To help you breathe more easily, you'll be given oxygen through a face mask, a tube inserted into your nose, or an endotracheal tube inserted into your mouth. If you have severe shortness of breath , a mechanical ventilator may be used. You'll probably be given fluids directly into a vein. This will help raise your blood pressure by increasing the amount of fluid in your blood. To increase the blood flow to your vital organs, such as your brain, liver, kidneys and heart, you may be prescribed inotropic medicines or vasopressors.
Inotropic medicines inotropes , such as dobutamine, stimulate your heart. They increase the strength of your heartbeat, which helps get oxygen-rich blood to your tissues and organs, where it's needed. As with other illnesses requiring intensive medical care, some patients have long-term effects. These problems might not become apparent for several weeks after treatment is completed and might include such consequences as:.
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I survived sepsis. Minus Related Pages. On this Page. How will I feel when I get home? What can I do to help myself recover? What if I think I need more help? What are the long-term effects of sepsis?
Certain tests can reveal whether or not your organs are functioning as they should. A critical tool for diagnosing sepsis in its earliest stages is the procalcitonin PCT blood test. PCT is a protein that rapidly increases in the blood as a bacterial infection spreads.
Doctors can use the PCT test to see how widespread an infection is. The PCT test is also important because it shows doctors whether or not antibacterial drugs are an appropriate treatment. You may also need imaging tests , such as X-rays or computed tomography CT scans , especially if the source of infection is unclear.
If you notice signs of sepsis and septic shock, call right away, especially if you recently had surgery or have a known infection. At the hospital, expect doctors to run urine and blood tests. Treatment takes place in a hospital.
You may be admitted to the intensive care unit ICU. Antibiotics should be given within one hour of your arrival at the hospital. Diagnostic tests will be ordered to confirm an infection and its type, but results can take at least 48 hours to come back. The pros of immediate treatment far outweigh any risks. Antibiotic medications are administered directly into the vein intravenously so that they enter the bloodstream immediately. A survey on antibiotic use in sepsis found that intravenous antibiotics are most commonly given for a duration of seven to 10 days.
If diagnostic tests come back showing a different kind of infection, however, you may be switched from an antibiotics to antifungals, antivirals , or other targeted treatments as appropriate.
Regardless of infection type, you will be given IV fluids to prevent blood pressure from dropping. You may also be given vasopressor medications , which tighten blood vessels to help raise blood pressure.
Should you have difficulty breathing, you may be placed on a ventilator , also known as a respirator or breathing machine. Surgery may also be recommended after initial antibiotic treatment to remove tissue or amputate a limb damaged by sepsis. Surgery ensures any damaged tissues are gone and you are infection-free. It also helps you maintain as much mobility as possible.
The thought of even potentially losing a limb is startling. These typically happen within the first 36 hours to 90 days after sepsis begins. Immediate sepsis treatment is needed to prevent or minimize complications, including progression to septic shock. Antibiotics are given even before the cause of an infection is confirmed.
Fluids and medications are used to keep blood pressure up. Breathing assistance and surgery may be needed in some cases. Sepsis happens when an infection spreads through the bloodstream to multiple areas in the body. This worsens into septic shock when blood pressure drops dangerously low and impairs organ function. You must go to the ER immediately if you notice any signs of sepsis.
You may be placed in the ICU, and your blood pressure and breathing will be closely monitored. The medication you are given will depend on the type of infection you have—viral, bacterial, or fungal. If you or a loved one is a survivor of septic shock, you may want to join a support group or otherwise connect with others who have battled sepsis or any ongoing health issues related to septic shock. Resources to help you cope in your recovery are also available through the nationwide organization Sepsis Alliance.
Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is sepsis? Updated January Role of cytokines as a double-edged sword in sepsis. In Vivo. How is sepsis diagnosed and treated? Updated August Timing and causes of death in septic shock. Ann Intensive Care. Gauer R. Early recognition and management of sepsis in adults: The first six hours.
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