Guide To The Serious Symptoms Of Sepsis

Sepsis is a fatal condition that involves the body releasing chemicals to the bloodstream to fight an infection. The immune system reacts when foreign toxins and chemicals are imbalanced. This may mean decreasing blood pressure. In extreme cases, sepsis leads to body inflammation that may result in vital organ failure. This outcome happens when there are blood clots around the organs that limit the intake of oxygenated blood. Sepsis commonly develops in the elderly, newborns, pregnant women, and individuals with weak immunity and chronic problems.

Many patients will take medication for sepsis, which can include vasopressors and antibiotics for sepsis. The first treatment, however, is typically intravenous fluids for sepsis. Sepsis surgery can also be used in certain cases. Of course, prompt sepsis treatment is essential due to the serious symptoms and effects of this condition.

High Heart Rate

As the patient's immune system rapidly responds to foreign bodies, they are likely to experience a high heart rate of about ninety beats every minute. This heart rate happens because as sepsis spreads through the body, the patient's blood flow is interrupted as it attempts to get to vital organs. Their brain, kidneys, and heart are likely to fail since sepsis causes blood clots. Their arms, fingers, legs, and toes may also experience blood clots that cause tissue death, and subsequently, organ failure. These factors will lead to increased heart rate since the patient's heart is no longer functioning as it should. If this continues for an extended period, the patient will likely experience heart failure.

Rapid Breathing

Rapid breathing occurs due to the severity of sepsis and the improper functioning of body organs. As sepsis worsens, the patient's body reacts with inflammation to fight off the infectious pathogens. Septic shock leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome, a condition where the patient is unable to breathe.

Seeking medical attention ensures that patients have access to the intensive care unit to prevent the complicated effects of this devastating condition. According to studies, four out of every ten sepsis patients die from septic shock. Thus, if patients do not get immediate medical help, their lungs will collapse due to the lack of oxygen. This can lead to total organ failure and a high mortality rate.

High Fever Or Low Body Temperature

When there is minimal or severe sepsis, the body sends systemic responses to stop the infection from spreading. High or low body temperatures happen to be part of this response. Changes in body temperatures are expected due to the patient's increased heart rate and rapid breathing. Fever or hypothermia may quickly complicate sepsis leading to septic shock that is fatal.

High fever or low body temperature causes reduced blood flow that interrupts blood circulation to the vital organs. Body temperature changes are also signs of severe immunity problems as they often damage the blood vessels. The result is improper oxygenated and deoxygenated blood transportation that causes organ failure and death.

Mental Ability Changes

Organ dysfunction causes mental ability changes, such as confusion and disorientation, especially in the elderly. Being anxious, apprehensive, and agitated also indicate alterations in mental status. Memory loss and personality changes may also occur. They indicate organ failure in patients. Survivors of sepsis go through a difficult time during treatment as various medical procedures are necessary to correct organ failure. This leaves them with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological problems. The cognitive effects of sepsis in older patients are sometimes long-term. Sepsis is, therefore, a serious condition that may affect a patient's quality of life if it is not addressed.

Extreme Weakness

As the vital organs fail in sepsis patients, mitochondrion failure also occurs. The mitochondrion is a significant body part as it helps in energy synthesis. If it is dysfunctional, it causes muscle failure and leads to extreme weakness in patients. Sepsis also causes problems in the peripheral nervous system due to polyneuropathy and myopathy. As the muscles grow weaker, a sepsis patient only has the option of relying solely on a ventilator to stay alive.

Extreme weakness is also a common post-sepsis syndrome, and it may be long-term, depending on the stage of sepsis. This symptom occurs due to the profound ultra-structural defects of the body muscles that causes them to waste off.