Septic shock is characterized by an exaggerated immune response of the immune system due to an infection, with a severe inflammatory state that causes changes in blood circulation, decrease in blood pressure and risk of death if it is not treated quickly.
This condition can arise due to any type of infection, mainly by bacteria, but also by viruses, fungi or parasites, which cause diseases such as urinary tract infection, pneumonia, skin infections or meningitis.
Septic shock is a complication of sepsis, also known as generalized infection, which is when the microorganism reaches the bloodstream or when a localized infection is severe and causes a serious reaction in the body. Better understand what it is and how to identify the generalized infection.
Main causes
Any infection can cause sepsis or septic shock and is mainly caused by:
- Bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus sp., Neisseria meningitidis , among others; Viruses, such as influenza H1N1, H5N1, yellow fever virus or dengue virus, among others; Fungi, mainly of the genus Candida .
Infections that lead to septic shock can appear anywhere on the body, and some of the most common are pneumonia, urinary tract infection, meningitis, erysipelas, infectious cellulitis, infection of surgical wounds or contamination of catheters.
Who is most at risk
People who are most likely to be affected by a serious infection and develop septic shock are those who are hospitalized, especially in the ICU, as they are places where microorganisms can acquire greater resistance to antibiotic treatments, where there is the introduction of probes and catheters or tests, which can be sources of infection, as well as because the patient's immune system may be impaired due to some disease.
Read more about hospital infection and how to prevent it.
In addition, having chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, heart failure, marrow aplasia, kidney failure, as well as using immunosuppressive drugs such as chemotherapy, corticosteroids, antibiotics or radiotherapy can also make people more prone to sepsis and septic shock, because can impair the action of the immune system.
How to identify septic shock
Septic shock is diagnosed through signs and symptoms and confirmed by laboratory tests. The diagnostic criteria include a combination of the following factors:
- Temperature rise above normal or excessive drop; Rapid heart rate; High respiratory rate; Changes in the leukocyte dosage in the blood; Tests that show a focus of infection, such as analysis of urine, respiratory secretions or blood; blood lactate, which indicates deficiencies in blood oxygenation; Severe drop in blood pressure, requiring the use of medications for its normalization.
The doctor is responsible for assessing the signs and symptoms and determining whether there is really septic shock or not. After this condition is detected, treatment should be carried out as soon as possible with the use of antibiotics, drugs to stabilize blood pressure and hydration, as it is a condition with high mortality rates.
Learn more about how treatment for septic shock is done.
