Related clinical pictures
There are many different clinical pictures that are inseparably connected with the detection of bacteria in the blood. – The first example is bacterial endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), which occurs more frequently in patients with previously diseased heart valves, most of whom have also undergone surgery. The inflammation of the affected heart is preceded by a deposit of bacterial pathogens in the blood on the heart valves, which is more likely to occur in the case of altered/scarred valves.
These bacteria find good conditions for growth on the heart valves because they are constantly surrounded by nutrient-rich blood. Very often endocarditis is the result of an invasive dental procedure, since large amounts of bacteria can enter the bloodstream from the oral cavity through the injury and opening of the well supplied gums. For this reason, precautionary antibiotic therapy is very important in the presence of risk factors, such as an artificial heart valve, and should be carried out following dental procedures.
Typical symptoms are general signs of infection, such as fever, but also the appearance of new, previously unknown heart murmurs, as well as signs of increasing heart weakness are part of the clinical picture. Normally, when bacterial heart valve inflammation occurs, treatment is carried out with the aid of an antibiotic. – The presence of tetanus disease, also known as tetanus spasm, has already been mentioned, which is associated with the detection of the bacterium in open wounds and the release of its nerve-damaging toxin.
This initially leads to unspecific symptoms such as headaches, dizziness or sweating. Only later do the typical spastic paralysis symptoms appear, in which the muscles cramp uncontrollably and the patient no longer has any possibility of relaxing his muscles. Acute danger to life arises, for example, when the respiratory muscles are also affected.
The clinical picture is triggered by the poison in the blood, so that an antidote is used therapeutically in addition to relaxing substances. In contrast to Clostridium tetani, which enters the bloodstream directly through open wounds, the bacterium Tropheryma whipleii initially triggers a “local” disease of the stomach and upper small intestine, as it is usually taken in through the mouth. The pathogens are absorbed by cells of the body’s own defence system, the macrophages, and remain in the mucous membrane where they cause problems in the absorption of nutrients from food.
As a result, there are structural changes in the intestinal mucosa and, secondarily, the bacteria enter the bloodstream. Via the bloodstream, the bacteria can spread throughout the body and attack many other organs. This can trigger further organ-specific symptoms, such as joint problems or increasing shortness of breath under stress.
The clinical picture of Whipple’s disease is treated with antibiotics, with additional symptomatic therapy by administering, for example, vitamins which at times could no longer be absorbed through the altered intestinal mucosa. – The last, but particularly dreaded example of a disease associated with the detection of bacteria in the blood is the so-called sepsis, colloquially known as blood poisoning, which in the course of time can be accompanied by the failure of several organs due to an overreaction of the body’s own defence system and thus become life-threatening. It usually begins with a “harmless”, localised disease, which, however, does not heal due to a weakness of the immune system, but gets out of control so that the pathogens can enter the bloodstream.
The strong reaction of the immune system ultimately triggers the life-threatening complications that should not actually occur. The biggest problem with blood poisoning is above all that it is usually detected very late, mostly due to its initially very unspecific symptoms (fever, feeling of illness). In the meantime, the reaction of the immune system is already well advanced, so that the patient already shows signs of shock, such as a drop in blood pressure and an increased pulse.
The affected person must receive intensive medical care as soon as possible in order to stabilize the patient’s circulation, fight the bacteria with antibiotics and reduce the risk of failure of important organs such as the lungs, kidneys or liver. Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontal apparatus. It is usually caused by bacteria.
These bacteria can also enter the bloodstream. Since periodontitis can persist for a long period of time, bacteria can always enter the bloodstream. This exposes the body to a kind of permanent stress, which can have many harmful consequences. The inflammatory reaction increases the risk of cancer or heart attack, among other things. Therefore, periodontitis should be treated if possible.
