Blood Poisoning: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

In blood poisoning or sepsis, an infection occurs that spreads throughout the body via the blood or bloodstream and can cause lasting damage to other internal organs. Medical treatment is urgently necessary in the case of blood poisoning.

What is blood poisoning or sepsis?

In cases of blood poisoning, a rapid response is important. Within hours, the general condition of the affected person can deteriorate to such an extent that his or her life is in danger. With timely medical treatment, the course can be favorably influenced. Blood poisoning is an infectious disease. Blood poisoning is also known as sepsis. If blood poisoning occurs, it is not only local, but it spreads throughout the entire body. By spreading throughout the body, blood poisoning can become very dangerous and cause massive damage. Especially the numerous organs in the body can be damaged by blood poisoning. In blood poisoning, a distinction is made between several forms of manifestation. It is divided into normal blood poisoning (sepsis), severe sepsis and septic shock. In the past, blood poisoning was not only referred to as sepsis, but also as gangrene, since most blood poisonings could be traced back to a lack of hygiene. Many people assume that blood poisoning is recognizable in the form of a red line that travels in the direction of the heart. However, this is only partially correct. The red line is only visible in lymphangitis, which is also wrongly called blood poisoning. The chances of recovery from lymphangitis are usually better than from conventional blood poisoning, where recovery can be very complicated. In some cases, lymphangitis can also develop into blood poisoning if there are complications with the lymphangitis addressed.

Causes

Blood poisoning can have diverse causes. In most cases, bacteria, viruses or even fungi in the body are responsible for blood poisoning. If the body is unable to fight this infection with antibodies or its own immune system, the infection can spread throughout the body via the bloodstream. In most cases, certain infectious diseases are responsible for blood poisoning. For example, pneumonia, wound infections, or catheter infections are also responsible.

Symptoms, complaints, and signs

In the early stages, blood poisoning (sepsis) is usually not easy to diagnose because the accompanying symptoms are nonspecific and may also occur in numerous other diseases. Many patients who have developed sepsis suffer from high fever, which is one of the main symptoms of blood poisoning. Very often, the fever is also accompanied by chills. In rare cases, on the other hand, there is a drop in body temperature to below 36 degrees Celsius. If the brain has been affected, the affected person is often confused. The condition can range from mild disturbances of consciousness to delirium. Patients are agitated and suffer from orientation disorders; unintelligible, incoherent speech is also possible. Another common symptom is palpitations or at least a markedly accelerated heartbeat with a pulse of more than 90 beats per minute. This is often accompanied by accelerated breathing. Low blood pressure is also not uncommon. The symptoms of sepsis may overlap with those of the underlying disease and may be masked by them, especially in the early phase. For example, high fever and chills are also typical of appendicitis. There is also a widespread misconception that a red line moving toward the heart indicates blood poisoning. However, this symptom indicates a different disease, namely lymphangitis, which is an inflammation of the lymphatic channels.

Course

The course of the disease in blood poisoning is usually identical. Therefore, the disease can be optimally treated with various antibiotics. However, in most cases, blood poisoning is not detected until it is too late. The course therefore often ends in death, since the blood runs or flows several times through the entire body, including the organs, within a day.After only a few hours, the vital organs, such as the lungs, the heart and also the liver are affected. After the organs have been supplied with the contaminated blood, circulatory shock, kidney failure and also failure of the lungs as well as also liver occurs as a result.

Complications

Sepsis leads to death if left untreated, with the likelihood of this increasing by one percent with each passing hour. This is particularly dangerous because symptoms are not correctly assessed quickly enough and are misclassified. Depending on the organ affected, local complications such as abscesses may occur. In the case of the central nervous system, this also results in meningitis (meningitis). If septic shock occurs during the course of the disease, in which the circulatory system fails and the organs are no longer supplied with sufficient blood, the risk to the patient’s own survival increases considerably. Whether such a reaction occurs depends on the severity of the sepsis on the one hand and on timely medical intervention on the other. Both also have an effect on consequential damage after treatment. Even months later, those affected can suffer from nerve damage, muscle weakness or movement disorders. In addition, depression and other illnesses are possible due to the increased psychological stress. It also becomes complicated if the right antibiotic cannot be found immediately. For this, the source of infection with the corresponding pathogen must be identified in order to be able to resort to the most effective medication. In addition, possible resistance must be taken into account, as certain bacteria no longer respond adequately to commonly used antibiotics.

When should you go to the doctor?

Blood poisoning, also called sepsis, should not be underestimated. If sepsis is left untreated, it can get out of control. In such cases, there is acute danger to life. The cause of blood poisoning is always a previous infection. Open wounds, pneumonia or even appendicitis can be the trigger for blood poisoning. As a rule, a healthy immune system manages to fight the pathogens that have entered the body and the infection heals. If the immune system fails to keep the pathogens in check, they enter the bloodstream. It is therefore important to always have an infection treated by a doctor to minimize the risk of sepsis. If sepsis nevertheless occurs, it must be treated in the hospital. There, the pathogen is identified by means of blood tests. This enables the attending physician to administer the appropriate antibiotic. In severe cases of sepsis, the circulation and any affected organs are also supported with appropriate medication. It is not possible to protect oneself safely from blood poisoning. However, the risk of infections spreading in the body is significantly lower if the immune system is intact. A healthy diet and exercise support the body’s defenses to prevent blood poisoning from occurring in the first place.

Treatment and therapy

Blood poisoning can also be treated or treated with therapy. In most cases, this is done with antibiotics. In addition, however, methods such as ventilation, kidney replacement procedures (dialysis, hemofiltration), shock treatment, artificial nutrition with insulin addition, or replacement of blood cells and blood substances can also help. To prevent blood poisoning and its usually unfortunate course, one can undergo regular tetanus vaccinations or pay attention to an intact immune system. If the immune system is healthy and stable, the body is not so easily accessible to foreign pathogens and can actively fight them. The immune system can be strengthened, for example, through a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Also, in the case of an infectious disease, you should immediately see a doctor to prevent the outbreak of blood poisoning.

Outlook and prognosis

If the body cannot efficiently push back the invading germs, sepsis will result. In the absence of medical therapy, spread of the pathogens throughout the organism quickly follows. As a consequence, severe damage to blood vessels or even failure of individual organs can occur. The danger of blood poisoning depends on the bacterium and the patient’s general physical condition. Often the cardiovascular system collapses in the later course.Due to the lack of blood supply to vital organs, affected individuals suffer septic shock. Otherwise, impaired kidney function can make it necessary to clean the blood regularly with the help of dialysis. Other long-term consequences include irreparable nerve damage or pronounced muscle weakness. Serious complications or permanent impairments usually do not occur with early therapy. However, there are also exceptions in which those affected do not respond to any medication. Such cases are usually fatal. Therefore, rapid action and immediate contact with a physician are basic requirements for a good prognosis. If the necessary therapy is not administered for more than 24 hours, the death rate is about one quarter of all affected persons. Life expectancy is even worse in cases of severe organ damage or septic shock. In these cases, between 50% and 60% of victims lose their lives. Time is therefore of the utmost importance for a positive prognosis. With preventive measures for injuries through sufficient hygiene and adequate wound care, sepsis can often be prevented in advance or at least greatly mitigated.

Aftercare

If sepsis is simple or mild, there is often no need for subsequent follow-up care. Consequential symptoms arise only very rarely afterwards, so that subsequent examinations can be dispensed with altogether. The situation is different, however, if there is severe sepsis. The more severe the sepsis, the more medical care is required afterwards. In particularly severe cases, affected individuals must live with regular dialysis for the rest of their lives. In addition, sepsis can cause muscle weaknesses, so that entire movement sequences have to be relearned afterwards. A complete aftercare program tailored to sepsis patients is still being developed by researchers. This will include special training for primary care physicians, so that the general quality of life of sepsis patients should be significantly improved. Follow-up care for survived sepsis is not necessary for a mild form of sepsis. A full recovery is not dependent on further visits to the doctor. However, the situation is different if a severe sepsis has been survived. Under certain circumstances, secondary damage may remain that absolutely requires follow-up care. Otherwise, secondary damage may remain that cannot be recovered. For this reason, further follow-up care is reasonable and essential, provided that a survived sepsis wants to be cured 100 percent.

What you can do yourself

If blood poisoning is suspected, a doctor should definitely be consulted. Against the accompanying symptoms of blood poisoning help various home remedies. Effective is, for example, a decoction of masterwort, arnica, angelica and burnet, which is taken in small sips throughout the day. Garlic juice, which is applied to the fresh wound and quickly kills the bacteria, also helps acutely. Similarly, aloe vera and the juice of calendula can prevent the onset of inflammation. However, if blood poisoning has already occurred, a medical professional must be called in. Pending a doctor’s visit, possible causes of sepsis can be determined and recorded in a patient diary. Subsequently, the trigger must be treated by the use of antibiotics. This should be supplemented by drinking plenty of fluids regularly to compensate for fluid loss. Sometimes it is also useful to take nutritional supplements and blood sugar-lowering medication. The most effective home remedy is rest and bed rest. Sufferers should also consume only light, protein-rich foods, such as vegetable broth, steamed vegetables or salad. Depending on the severity of the sepsis, treatment can be given either at home or in the intensive care unit.