Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Medical Author: John Mersch, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Neonatal sepsis is any infection involving an infant during the first 28 days
of life. Neonatal sepsis is also known as "sepsis neonatorum." The infection may
involve the infant globally or may be limited to just one organ (such as the
lungs with pneumonia). It may be acquired prior to birth (intrauterine sepsis)
or after birth (extrauterine sepsis). Viral (such as herpes, rubella[German
measles]), bacterial (such as group B strep) and more rarely fungal (such as
Candida) causes may be implicated.
During her pregnancy, a women's obstetrician is constantly monitoring the
health of both of the pregnant women and her fetus for any signs or symptoms
that might indicate sepsis. Prior to birth, many indicators can signal that a
potential infection is developing. Women are screened for infectious diseases at
their first OB office visit. Some of these include HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis,
herpes, Chlamydia, and hepatitis B, as well as immunity to rubella
and chickenpox. Between the 35th and 37th week of pregnancy, screening for
group B strep is commonly performed. Some symptoms and signs, such as slower
than anticipated fetal growth, may be subtle indications of threatened fetal
well-being. Measurement of uterine size via the traditional tape measure or
ultrasoundexamination of the uterus, placenta, and fetus will both provide
critical information. Throughout the pregnancy, office visits provide the
opportunity to monitor fetal heart rate. The obstetrician commonly evaluates
both the actual heart rate at rest as well as the infant's cardiac response to a
mild stress(for example, uterine contraction). If concerns develop, specialized
evaluations can be performed ("stress testing") during which fetal heart rate,
fetal movement and fetal tone are monitored and an objective risk assessment may
be made. Maternal feverduring her pregnancy warrants a timely and thorough
evaluation. Equally significant would be the onset of premature labor or
premature rupture of the amniotic sac (termed "premature rupture of membranes").
Blood poisoning is a nonmedical term that usually refers to the medical condition known as sepsis.
Sepsis is a potentially dangerous or life-threatening medical condition found in association with a known or suspected infection whose signs and symptoms fulfill at least two criteria of a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
The major SIRS criteria are an increased heart rate, fever, and increased respiratory rate; the young and the elderly may show other early signs and symptoms of sepsis sometimes before exhibiting SIRS criteria.
The majority of cases of sepsis are due to bacterial infection.
Sepsis is treated with hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics, and therapy to support any organ dysfunction.
Prevention of infections and early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis are the best ways to prevent sepsis or reduce the problems sepsis causes.
The prognosis depends on the severity of sepsis as well as the underlying health status of the patient; in general, the elderly have the worst prognosis.
What is blood poisoning?
Blood poisoning is a nonspecific term used mainly by nonmedical individuals that describes, in the broadest sense, any adverse medical condition(s) due to the presence of any toxic agent in the blood. Usually, the layperson using the term blood poisoning is referring to the medical condition(s) that arise when bacteria or their products (or both) reach the blood.
Blood poisoning is not a medical term and does not appear in many medical dictionaries or scientific publications. However, when it is used, the correct medical term that most closely matches its intended meaning is
sepsis. Many medical authors consider the terms blood poisoning and sepsis to be interchangeable, but the trend in the medical literature is to use the term
sepsis.
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a potentially dangerous or life-threatening medical condition, found in association with a known or suspected infection (usually
caused by but not limited to bacteria) whose signs and symptoms fulfill at least two of the following criteria of a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS):
elevated heart rate (tachycardia) >90 beats per minute at rest
body temperature either high (>100.4F or 38C) or low (<97F or 36C)
increased respiratory rate of >20 breaths per minute or a reduced PaCO2
(partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood level)
abnormal white blood cell count (>12000 cells/µL or <4000 cells/µL or >10% bands
[an immature type of white blood cell])
Patients who meet the above criteria have sepsis and are also termed septic. These criteria were proposed by several medical societies and may continue to be modified by other medical groups. For example,
pediatric groups use the same four criteria listed above but modify the values for each to make the SIRS criteria for children. Other groups want to add criteria, but currently this is the most widely accepted definition.
Terms that are often used in place of sepsis are bacteremia, septicemia, and
blood poisoning. However, bacteremia means the presence of bacteria in the blood; this can occur without any of the criteria listed above and should not be confused with sepsis. For example, you can brush your teeth and get bacteremia for a short time and have no SIRS criteria occur. Unfortunately, septicemia has had multiple definitions over time; it has been defined as bacteremia, blood poisoning, bacteremia leading to sepsis, sepsis, and other variations. Although septicemia appears frequently in the medical literature, a reader must be sure which definition the author is using. Some experts suggest the terms blood poisoning and septicemia not be used since they are poorly defined, but it is difficult
for the medical community to disregard such terms that have been used for many decades.
Low blood pressure, also referred to as hypotension, is blood pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. Some of the symptoms of low blood pressure include light-headedness, dizziness, or even fainting if not enough blood is getting to the brain. Diseases and medications can also cause low blood pressure. When the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys; the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and/or urethra. Not
everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to
urinate and a painful, burning when urinating.
Staphylococcus or Staph is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases. Staph infections can cause illness directly by infection or indirectly by the toxins they produce. Symptoms and signs of a Staph infection include redness, swelling, pain, and drainage of pus. Minor skin infections are treated with an antibiotic ointment, while more serious infections are treated with intravenous antibiotics.
MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria causes skin infections with the following signs and symptoms: cellulitis, abscesses, carbuncles, impetigo, styes, and boils. Normal skin tissue doesn't usually allow MRSA infection to develop. Individuals with depressed immune systems and people with cuts, abrasions, or chronic skin disease are more susceptible to MRSA infection.
Cellulitis is an acute spreading bacterial infection below the surface of the skin characterized by redness, warmth, inflammation, and pain. The most common cause of cellulitis is the bacteria Staph (Staphylococcus aureus).
Necrotizing fasciitis is also known as a flesh-eating bacterial infection, Fournier's gangrene, suppurative fasciitis, and necrotizing cellulitis. The disease is occasionally caused by fungi, but most cases are caused by bacteria that enter the skin through insect bites, cuts, puncture wounds, or surgical incisions. Symptoms include pain, redness, swelling, fever, chills, skin ulceration, bullae formation, black scabs, gas formation, and fluid draining from the site of infection. Treatment involves hospitalization, the use of intravenous antibiotics, and debridement of the necrotic tissue.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
Internal bleeding occurs when an artery or vein is damaged and blood to escapes the circulatory system and collects inside the body. Internal bleeding can be caused by a variety of situations such as blunt trauma, deceleration trauma, medications, fractures, and spontaneous bleeding. Treatment of internal bleeding depends on the cause of the bleeding.
Salmonella bacteria are known to cause salmonellosis, typhoid fever, and paratyphoid fever in humans. Salmonella infection is usually caused by ingesting large amounts of the bacteria in contaminated food or water.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is the most common type of infection acquired by patients while hospitalized. Patients at risk for VRE are those who are already ill, and hospitalized, including individuals with diabetes, elderly, ICU patients, kidney failure patients, or patients requiring catheters. Enterococci can survive for months in the digestive tract and female genital tract. Other risk factors for acquiring VRE include those how have been previously treated with vancomycin and combinations of other antibiotics. Treatment of VRE is generally with other antibiotics other than vancomycin. Prevention of VRE can be achieved by proper hand hygiene.
There are many types of E. Coli (Escherichia coli ). Pathogenic E. coli can cause urinary tract and bladder infections, or lead to sepsis. E coli O157:H7 (EHEC) causes bloody diarrhea and colitis. Complications of E. coli infection include hemorrhagic diarrhea, hemolytic-uremic syndrome, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. E coli O157:H7 commonly is due to eating raw or undercooked hamburger or raw milk or dairy products.
Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. Potential causes include injections around the bone, fractures that puncture the skin, recent surgeries, and bacterial infections that travel from other areas of the body, spreading through the blood to the bone. Symptoms include pain, fever, chills, stiffness, and nausea. Treatment involves antibiotics and pain medications. Surgery is sometimes necessary.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Gangrene may result when blood flow to a tissue is lost or not adequate to keep the tissue alive. There are two types of gangrene: wet and dry. All cases of wet gangrene are infected by bacteria. Most cases of dry gangrene are not infected. If wet gangrene goes untreated, the patient may die of sepsis and die within hours or days. Dry gangrene usually doesn't cause the patient to die. Symptoms of dry gangrene include numbness, discoloration, and mummification of the affected tissue. Wet gangrene symptoms include swelling, pain, pus, bad smell, and black appearance of the affected tissue. Treatment depends upon the type of gangrene and how much tissue is compromised by the gangrene.
Phlebitis is the inflammation of a vein. Thrombophlebitis is when a blood clot causes the inflammation. Phlebitis can be superficial or deeper in the veins. A blood clot deep in a vein is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Some of the common causes of phlebitis include prolonged inactivity, varicose veins, trauma to a vein, underlying cancers, clotting disorders, etc. Symptoms of phlebitis may be mild (pain, tenderness, redness, or bulging of a vein. Treatment of phlebitis depends on the cause.
Hypothermia is having a body core temperature of less than 35 C or 95 F. Most causes of hypothermia are preventable. Risk factors for hypothermia include age, mental status, medical conditions, and medications. Symptoms of hypothermia generally depend upon the severity of the condition. Treatment depends upon the severity of hypothermia. If not treated early, hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, coma, or death.
Lymphedema is a condition in which one or more extremities become swollen as the result of an impaired flow of the lymphatic system. There are two types of lymphedema; primary, secondary. Filariasis is the most common cause of lymphedema worldwide; however, in the U.S. breast cancer surgery is the most common cause. Symptoms include swelling of one or more limbs, thickening, cracked, and secondary bacterial or fungal infections of the skin. There is no cure for lymphedema.
Medical shock is a life-threatening medical condition. There are several types of medical shock, septic shock, anaphylactic shock, cardiogenic shock, hypovolemic shock, and neurogenic shock. Causes of shock include heart attack, heart failure, heavy bleeding (internal and external), infection, anaphylaxis, spinal cord injury, severe burns, chronic vomiting or diarrhea. Low blood pressure is the key sign of sock. Treatment is dependant upon the type of shock.
Bug bites and stings have been known to transmit insect-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease. Though most reactions to insect bites and stings are mild, some reactions may be life-threatening. Preventing bug bites and stings with insect repellant, wearing the proper protective attire, and not wearing heavily scented perfumes when in grassy, wooded, and brushy areas is key.
Meningococcemia is a bloodstream infection caused by Neisseria meningitides. Meningococcemia symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and body aches. Meningococcemia is treated with intravenous antibiotics. There is an effective and safe vaccine to protect against most serogroups of meningococcus that cause meningococcemia.
NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase) is an enzyme produced by certain strains of bacteria that have recently acquired the genetic ability to make this compound. Bacteria that produce NDM-1 are resistant to all commonly used beta-lactam antibiotics. Klebsiella, Escherichia and Acinetobacter are known to possess the gene for NDM-1, which can turn these bacteria into superbugs. Symptoms and signs of NDM-1 infection include fever, fatigue, and shock. Treatment depends upon the NDM-1 strain.
The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products
from the blood. Dialysis is a
procedure that is a substitute for many of the normal duties of the kidneys. The
kidneys are two organs located on either side of the back of the abdominal
cavity. Dialysis can allow
individuals to live productive and useful lives, even though their
kidneys no longer work adequately. In the United States, there are
over 200,000 people who use dialysis techniques on an ongoing
basis.
Dialysis helps the body by performing the functions of failed
kidneys. The kidney has many roles.
An essential job of the kidney is to regulate the body's fluid balance. It does this by adjusting
the amount of urine that is excreted
on a daily basis. On hot days, the body sweats more. Thus, less water needs to
be excreted through the kidneys. On cold days, the body sweats less. Thus, urine output
needs to be greater in order to maintain the proper b...
