Septic shock (severe low blood pressure)

General or Other | Emergency Medicine | Septic shock (severe low blood pressure) (Disease)


Description

The body is equipped with various protection systems (skin) and defense (immune system) aggression against different pathogens. In the face of aggression, the body may respond differently with fever (elevated temperature> 37 degrees Celsius), tachypnea (increased number of breaths per minute) or tachycardia (increased heart rate> 100 beats / minute).

A septic shock is the bodys systemic inflammatory response, triggered by microbial invasion. If compensation mechanisms and control of the body, acting to combat microbial invasion, will be obsolete can reach after severe sepsis and septic shock. Septic shock is characterized by hypotension (low blood pressure leading to decreased blood perfusion to vital organs) and multiple organ dysfunction. If not countered in time, will progress to sepsis and septic shock after the death of the patient.

Causes and Risk factors

A septic shock is constituted as a body response to microbial invasion. Pathogen (microbe) can cause sepsis, if it comes in blood but also by toxins spreading at invasion (through toxins released). It is an important cause of death, especially among patients hospitalized for other medical conditions.

A number of diseases such as diabetes, leukemia, liver cirrhosis or burns, favors multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms in the blood (bacteremia) and installation of a septic shock.

A weakened body, the immune system, help microbes entering the bloodstream and trigger the inflammatory response generalized sepsis. Systemic inflammatory response, may increase over time, leading to extreme and very serious condition, septic shock. Some patients may respond with a normal body temperature, while others may be hypothermic. Most often, the elderly, alcoholics and sepsis in newborns, do not have fever. Early hyperventilation is installed and the patient is confused and disoriented. Then the hypotension and DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation), which leads to damage due to ischemia of the peripherals tissues.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Specific skin lesions may occur (petechiae, purpura, skin), due to bacterial toxins spread throughout the body via the circulatory system. These skin lesions can focus on physician diagnosis.

The patient will likely be administered oxygen, either by a tube that is placed near the nose or through a clear plastic mask. Depending on the results of the tests, the doctor may order medications. The doctor may also order IV salt solution (saline) and medications to increase the blood pressure if it is too low.

If results show an infection in the abdomen, either drainage of the infection by the placement of tubes or surgery may be necessary. ...