sep·ti·ce·mi·a



A systemic disease caused by pathogenic organisms or their toxins in the bloodstream. Also called blood poisoning.



n : invasion of the bloodstream by virulent microorganisms from a focus of infection





Septicemia



Definition:

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





Alternative Names:

Blood poisoning; Bacteremia with sepsis





Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Septicemia is a serious, rapidly progressive, life-threatening infection that can arise from infections throughout the body, including infections in the lungs, abdomen, and urinary tract. It may precede or coincide with infections of the bone (osteomyelitis), central nervous system (meningitis), or other tissues. Septicemia can rapidly lead to septic shock and death. Septicemia associated with some organisms such as meningococci can lead to shock, adrenal collapse and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, a condition called Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome.



Onset of septicemia can be heralded by spiking fevers and chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, the outward appearance of being seriously ill (toxic) and a feeling of impending doom. These symptoms rapidly progress to shock with decreased body temperature (hypothermia), falling blood pressure, confusion or other changes in the mental status, and clotting abnormalities evidenced by hemorrhagic lesions in the skin (petechiae and ecchymosis).



What is thrombosis?



Thrombosis is the formation of a solid blood clot in an arterial or venous vessel. Such a clot is formed by the same reactions that also stop bleeding from a wound. Our body has a finely tuned mechanism to stop bleeding. This mechanism, called blood coagulation is triggered when the blood comes in contact with an acutely (wound) or chronically (arteriosclerosis) damaged vessel wall. The clotted artery or vein is unable to feed blood to or drain blood from other organs which hence undergo pathological events.



What is a hypercoaguable state?



The concept of a hypercoaguable state is an attempt to express the rather slippery idea of the fine balance that the body must maintain between being able to produce a tenacious clot to stop bleeding from an open wound whilst allowing the free flow of blood around the circulatory system. If the intrinsic biochemistry of the blood of the individual in question favors clotting in this balancing act, then he displays a hypercoaguable state and is therefore more likely to develop clots in his arteries or veins with all the pathological consequences that this implies.
-----
Got Bats?

[ Show Entire Thread ]