THE sepsis (also called sepsis or sepsis), is a syndrome that occurs in patients with severe infections, characterized by an intense inflammatory state in the whole organism, potentially fatal.
Sepsis is triggered by the invasion of the bloodstream by infectious agents (mainly bacteria, but also viruses or other microorganisms), so it is usually called by the lay public "blood infection", but can continue even after the infectious agents that the caused are no longer present.
Sepsis can progress to severe sepsis(less blood reaches them, but is still a controllable condition with administration of saline solution) or a detectable dysfunction of some organ (characterized by lactic acidosis, coagulation disorders, hyperbilirubinemia, oliguria and / or alteration the level of consciousness, etc.).
When sepsis is severe, the kidneys and liver may stop working, the heart becomes weaker, the brain malfunctions, and the lungs are filled with water (by altering the permeability of blood vessels). The patient may then present the dreaded "multiple organ failure".
The change in the permeability of blood vessels and blood pressure causes a decrease in the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, leading to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and failure of the same, and may also affect the coagulation system can also be affected.
One of the most complicated sepsis events is disseminated intravascular coagulation (CIVD), a process in which the coagulation system becomes uncontrolled and thromboses and bleeding occur simultaneously. The risk of death increases with the severity of sepsis. Severe sepsis has a mortality greater than 40%, even with medical treatment.
Finally, in the septic shock (persistent hypotension - systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, mean arterial pressure <70 mmHg, or SBP fall of 40 mmHg or more - without response to adequate volume expansion).
The patient only responds to administration of vasoactive amines (noradrenaline). The patient should be referred to the ICU due to the high mortality rate (around 65% in Brazil). The use of artificial respirator, dialysis, sedation, catheters, catheters, among others may be necessary.
