Sepsis Flashcards
What is Sepsis?
Sepsis is a life threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection
According to NICE and the surviving sepsis campaign, if sepsis is not recognised early and managed promptly, what can it commonly lead to?
Septic Shock, multiple organ failure and death
According to Sepsis Trust (2018), when considering which children are more susceptible to developing sepsis, which of the following groups are known to have the highest risk?
24 weeks and 1 year old
What is Sepsis six?
Administer oxygen, take blood cultures, Give IV antibiotics, Give IV fluids, Check serial lactates, Measure urine
output.
When monitoring the intravenous fluid in a sepsis resuscitation you notice the infusion is 1 hour
behind in terms of remaining volume. What should you do first?
Make sure the infusion rate is infusing at the prescription ordered rate.
You are about to change the patients intravenous infusion and notice the cannula insertion site
appears very red and is oozing yellow pus. What is your next action?
Inform the patient’s doctor, insert a new cannula before starting the next infusion, remove the old cannula and
send the cannula tip for lab analysis.
The main goal of treating septic shock is:
Identification and elimination of the cause of infection.
Pneumonia typically affects which of the following parts of the respiratory system?
Bronchioles
You need to administer 15 litres of oxygen to a patient who has just been admitted with Sepsis, if
you follow the British Thoracic Society (2017) Emergency Oxygen Guidelines which mask will you
choose?
Non Rebreather mask
What part of the brain triggers the emetic or vomiting reflex?
The higher brain centres and the chemoreceptor trigger zone.
The surviving sepsis campaign promotes treatment within what time scale?
1 Hour of patient presentation
An ultrasound result comes back stating your patient has a kidney stone lodged in the urinary
tract, how will this most likely have caused a urinary tract infection?
Stasis of urine inside the urinary bladder due to obstruction attracts bacteria colonisation.
Your patient describes, red/brown discolouration of urine. What are they describing?
Haematuria
What are the indicators for an ECG?
Chest pain Use of accessory muscles History of drug use Low or high HR/ respiratory rate /BP Dizziness or fainting episodes
You really need to encourage your patient to follow the antibiotic regime, only taking half the
prescribed course is causing antibiotic resistance issues. How might you encourage them?
Provide adequate health education in an easily accessible/understandable format.
The pulmonary defence mechanisms help maintain low levels of microorganisms, these include
which mechanisms?
Cough reflex, Mucociliary clearance system and immune response.
In suspected pneumonia cases why might you send a C-reactive protein (CRP) level?
It is an acute phase reactant, a protein made by the liver that is released into the blood within a few hours after
tissue injury, the start of an infection or other inflammation