Medical statistics show that this rare disease is much more common than previously thought. It is good to know its signs and go to the doctor if you notice that something is wrong.
This disease progresses rapidly and leads to death if not treated urgently and properly.
A rare disease, as deadly as a heart attack, much more common than previously thought. What signs does it have?
It is about sepsis, a condition that can endanger the person’s life. It develops when an existing infection in the body triggers an extreme immune system response.
When faced with an infection, the immune system responds by releasing proteins and other chemicals to fight it. Sepsis occurs when this response gets out of control, triggering widespread inflammation.
Most infections that cause sepsis are bacterial. But other infections, including COVID-19, the flu, and fungal infections can also cause sepsis.
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There are three stages of sepsis:
Sepsis – An infection enters the bloodstream and causes inflammation in the body.
Severe Sepsis – The infection and inflammation are severe enough to begin to affect organ function.
Septic shock – Septic shock is a severe complication of sepsis that causes a significant drop in blood pressure. This can lead to many serious complications, including: organ dysfunction, respiratory or heart failure, death.
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A Swedish study shows that sepsis is much more common among hospital patients than previously thought. Researchers are now working to map the situation across Europe as we work out what signs to take seriously – the figures clearly show that 20% of sepsis patients die within three months – and what we can do to prevent it.
Sepsis is more common than we think. It should be considered an epidemic
Researchers say sepsis is more common than previously thought. This can happen because doctors use diagnosis codes to classify patients.
Because sepsis is a secondary problem resulting from an infection, it is often not even detected if the doctor records only the primary disease.
Meanwhile, the disease itself is so common that, according to researchers, it should be considered an epidemic.
It occurs when an existing infection gets out of control and the immune system begins to attack otherwise healthy tissue. Almost any infection, yes, even the flu or the coronavirus, can lead to sepsis, even if the infection itself didn’t seem that serious at first.
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Bacteria are the main culprits
Blood poisoning develops most often as a result of bacterial infections, he writes divany.hu. Pathogens that multiply in the lungs, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal system are the primary causes of sepsis.
That is why it is so important to consult a doctor in time if a bacterial infection is suspected: without treatment, there is a chance of developing blood poisoning. And once it hits its head, the symptoms get worse and worse surprisingly quickly.
Watch out for these symptoms
Confusion, disorientation, slurred speech.
Rapid heartbeat or weak pulse.
Fever, chills.
Moist or sweaty skin.
Pale, mottled or bluish-gray skin, lips or tongue.
Breathing difficulties.
A rash that does not fade on pressure.
Extremely strong pain, very bad feeling, fear of death.
What should you do
Not every patient with sepsis has these exact symptoms, this is not a list to check off before going to the hospital. If you have recently suffered from an infectious disease or suffered burns, suspect sepsis and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
If we don’t get there in time, a number of scary and truly life-threatening things can happen to us, from deep vein thrombosis to kidney failure.
In the case of a drop in blood pressure and circulatory collapse, we are already talking about septic shock, which is associated with loss of consciousness and a 25% mortality rate.
Severe cases of blood poisoning are treated in the intensive care unit, sometimes with the help of a ventilator. The cure is to find the source of the infection, treat it, and use a strong antibiotic.
If the symptoms were not very severe and the drugs are working, you can recover from sepsis. However, it is good to know that three quarters of survivors develop long-term complications such as heart attack, kidney problems and cognitive impairment.
2023-10-17 13:10:05
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