Septicemia Health Article

Definition

Septicemia is the presence of bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) and is often associated with severe infections.

Alternative Names

Blood poisoning; Bacteremia with sepsis; Systemic infammatory response syndrome (SIRS)

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Septicemia is a serious, life-threatening infection that gets worse very quickly. It can arise from infections throughout the body, including infections in the lungs, abdomen, and urinary tract. It may come before or at the same time as infections of the bone (osteomyelitis), central nervous system (meningitis), heart (endocarditis), or other tissues.

Symptoms

Septicemia can begin with spiking fevers, chills, rapid breathing, and rapid heart rate. The person looks very ill.

The symptoms rapidly progress to shock with fever or decreased body temperature (hypothermia), falling blood pressure, confusion or other changes in mental status, and blood clotting problems that lead to a specific type of red spots on the skin (petechiae and ecchymosis).

There may be decreased or no urine output.

Signs and tests

A physical examination may show:

• Low blood pressure
• Low body temperature or fever
• Signs of associated disease (such as meningitis, epiglottitis, pneumonia, or cellulitis)

Tests that can confirm infection include:

• Blood culture
• Blood gases
• CBC
• Clotting studies
  • PT
  • PTT
  • Fibrinogen levels
• CSF culture
• Culture of any suspect skin lesion
• Platelet count
• Urine culture