Endotoxemia/Sepsis

Question 1

What are some common sources of sepsis?

Answer 1

1. Metritis
2. Pneumonia
3. Pleuritis
4. Septic peritonitis
5. Enteritis
6. Colitis

Question 2

What is endotoxemia? How does this differ from sepsis?

Answer 2

Circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) found in gram - bacteria’s cell wall. Sepsis includes all bacteria while endotoxemia is only gram -.

Question 3

What does SIRS stand for and what is it?

Answer 3

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome: inflammatory response manifested by two or more of:

1. Increased HR
2. Increased RR
3. Increased/decreased body temp
4. Increased/decreased white blood cell count or left shift with more than 10% immature neutrophils

BUT, these are not a valid diagnostic tool

Question 4

What is CARS and how is it different from SIRS?

Answer 4

Compensatory Anti-inflammatory Response Syndrome that involves systemic deactivation of the immune system takes with restoring homeostasis from an inflammatory state. SIRS is a proinflammatory syndrome.

Question 5

What defines sepsis as “severe”?

Answer 5

At least one organ in dysfunction or hypo perfused

Question 6

What syndrome involves corticosteroid insufficiency and hypotension that is resistant to adequate fluid resuscitation?

Answer 6

Septic shock

Question 7

What does MODS stand for?

Answer 7

Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome where an acutely ill patient can’t maintain hemostasis without therapeutic intervention

Question 8

What is the most common source of equine endotoxemia/sepsis?

Answer 8

The GI tract

Question 9

What are the clinical results of a horse with sepsis/endotoxemia?

Answer 9

1. Deficits in tissue perfusion
2. Obtundation
3. Ileus
4. Laminitis risk increased

Question 10

Which two mediators are most commonly the cause of the clinical results of sepsis/endotoxemia?

Answer 10

TNFa and Prostaglandins