Sepsis Flashcards
Statistics regarding sepsis
Accounts for 1/5 of all deaths globally
3 million deaths in children <5
85% of cases are in Low+Middle income countries
Sepsis in the UK
1 dies in the UK every 12 minutes
2 in 5 have major complications of sepsis (major disability/ limitation)
qSOFA score
Used to rapidly identify sepsis.
Features include:
Respiratory rate : 22/min or greater
Systolic blood pressure : 100 mmg Hg or less
What does qSOFA look at ?
Organ dysfunction
Sepsis
Life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.
Septic shock
A subset of sepsis in which particularly profound circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities are associated with a greater risk of mortality than with sepsis alone.
Septic Shock features
Subset of sepsis
Organ Dysfunction
- Persistent hypotension requiring vasopressors to maintain MAP>= 65 mmHg
- Serum lactate >= 2mmol/L
SIRS
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
What does SIRS do ?
Reflects the usual, expected and useful host immune responses.
Typically, represent responses to infection.
Key features of SIRS - systematic inflammatory response syndrome
2 or more of:
Temperature >38 or <36
Heart rate >90/min
Resp rate >20/min
White cell count > 12,000/mm3
Data on SIRS
Now thought to lack both specificity and sensitivity
Sepsis is not an inevitable consequence of escalating inflammation.
Sepsis involves anti- and pro- inflammatory pathways.
SIRS is still useful but has limitations
Non-infection causes
Severe burns
Pancreatitis
Severe trauma
Ischaemia- reperfusion injury
Inflammation
Automated, early, rapid and protective responses
Directed at the site of infection, injury or trauma
Features of inflammation
Heat
Pain
Redness
Swelling
Celsus Tetrad
Calor
Dolor
Rubor
Tumor
Heat
Inhibiting or Mitigating pathogen expansion
Pain
Protective alert mechanism, encouraging withdrawal/action
Redness
Increased blood flow, facilitating access to site of injury
Swelling
Local fluid accumulation, cellular influx, pro-thrombotic, creating a seal
Localised regulated inflammation
Resident cells able to immediately recognise and response
Use of surface receptors, signal transduction and downstream responses to effect immediate changes
What are Toll-like receptors ?
Critical (host) cell receptors
Function of TLRs
TLRs and CLRs identify and signal downstream responses to attempt to address pathogen.
PRRs
Pattern Recognition receptors
Function of PRRs
Pattern recognition receptors are evolved to recognise abnormal patterns
PAMP
Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns
Function of PAMPs
Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns trigger such responses
NLRs
Nod-like receptors
CLRs
C-lectin type receptors
Most severe type of sepsis
Gram negative sepsis through TLR4
What is TLR4 associated with ?
LPS
Lipopolysaccharide
Function of TLR4
TLR4 is the major receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major trigger for gram-negative sepsis.
Action of TLR4
TLR4 uses 2 accessory molecules in a complex
Function of TLR3
TLR3 is expressed on the endoscope inner surface - well placed to recognise PAMPs - specifically Virus associated (RNA) PAMPs
What is TLR5 associated with ?
Flagellin
Downstream effects of TLRs
Inflammatory cytokines response
Function of activated TLRs
Regulate genes responsible for:
- Cardiovascular regulation
- Immune regulation
- Hormonal control
- Coagulation
- Metabolism
- Bio-energetic systems
What is implicated in downstream drivers of inflammation by TLR activation ?
Mitochondrial function
What is found in activated TLRs ?
Pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokine and cytokine receptor genes found in cells with activated TLR are up-regulated
e.g. TNFalpha, IL-1, IL6
Results of activated TLRs
Increased blood flow
MHC expression
Cortisol, oestrogen, adrenaline
Platelet activation
Metabolism - increased
Mitochondrial - varied responses
Results of dysregulated inflammation
SIRS / Sepsis
Describe dysregulated inflammation
Systemic vasodilation and reduced blood volume.
Impaired O2 delivery, intravascular coagulation - reduced blood flow
Lactic acidosis, cellular dysfunction and multi-organ dysfunction.
ATP levels fall, mitochondria function and cell performance falls
Mitochondria dysfunction can lead to cell death (tissue necrosis) but NOT in sepsis.
In sepsis, Mitochondria may adopt a low energy state.
This may explain recovery of organ function once systemic inflammation resolves.
Systemic vasodilation and reduced blood volume
Poor organ perfusion with TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6 and endothelial cell activation
Describe mitochondria in sepsis
IN sepsis, the mitochondria may adopt a low energy state.
Key feature of dysregulated inflammation
Lactic acidosis
Cellular dysfunction
ATP levels fall
Mt (mitochondria) function falls
State the major role of mitochondria
Generation of ATP
Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
Note: Mitochondria consume >95% of the body’s oxygen supply
Functions of mitochondria
Generation of heat, thermoregulation
Cell signalling
Intracellular calcium regulation
Inflammasome assembly
Initiation of cell death
What is the mitochondria the site of ?
Site of production (e.g. cortisol) OR action (e.g. oestrogen) of several hormones
Synthesis of heme and iron-sulfur clusters (cofactors in the electron transport chain)
How is the electrochemical gradient generated ?
An electrochemical gradient is generated across the inner mitochondrial membrane.
The result proton gradient in complex V (ATP synthase) drives ADP to ATP.
ROS
Reactive oxygen species
Describe mitochondrial dysfunction in sepsis
Impaired ATP generation
Micro- and Macrovascular (endothelial) complications
Increased ROS, in response to PAMPs, DAMPs
Pro-inflammatory cytokine release
Hyper-inflammatory release
Mitochondrial dysfunction
Electron transport chain complex dysfunction (I, III, IV)
What does mitochondrial dysfunction lead to ?
Compromised immune function
Compromised metabolic function of end-organisms : multi-organ dysfunction
Hyper-inflammatory state, loss of haemostasis
Impact of dysregualted inflammation on Mt
Impaired perfusion, reduced O2 to tissues to fuel electron transport and ATP generation.
Hormonal alterations affect Mt function.
What damages Mitochondria (Mt) ?
NO, CO, HS and the ROS inhibit Mt respiration and damage Mt proteins
What is down-regulated in early septic processes ?
Genes transcribing Mt proteins are down-regulated early in septic processes.
Metabolic consequences of dysregulated inflammation ?
ATP levels fall, but in sepsis cell death does not occur (as would be expected in other low ATP situations)
This may lead to dysfunction and ‘damaging’ mitochondrial biogenesis, aggravating pro-inflammatory responses.
Mitochondria as ‘quality control’ in sepsis
Critical roles in:
Supplying energy and metabolic intermediated for immune cell activation
Influencing inflammatory and cell death pathways
Mitophagy
Destruction of dysfunctional mitochondria to limit associated damage cascades
DAMPS
Damage associated molecular patterns
Describe proposed mitochondrial / cell hibernation
Mt adopt decreased metabolic rate to compensate for reduced ATP concentration.
Decrease in cell functionality within tissue/ system - organ dysfunction
So, when inflammation resolves, the organ can recover
Function of mitochondrial research
Better understand fundamental processes relevant to many diseases.
What does sepsis lead to ?
Sepsis is the result of infection that leads to tissue damage - distal to the site of infection
Dys-regulated inflammation following infection
Key risk factors for sepsis
Elderly >75
Very young <1
Impaired immune systems - due to illness/treatments
Post-operative (6 weeks)
Impaired immune system
Cancer, Chemotherapy, DM, Splenectomy, Sickle cell, Steroids
State some other risk factors for sepsis
Loss of skin integrity: cuts, burns, IV drug users
Women - pregnancy/ postnatal
Neonatal - GBS (group B strep), PROM (prem rupture of membranes)
Pathogens causing sepsis
Neisseria meningitidis
Strep pneumoniae
Strep pyogenes
Staph aureus
Salmonella typhimurium
Aspergillus fumigatus
Types of sepsis
Bacterial
Viral
Fungal
Presentation of sepsis
Wide range of symptoms and signs
May include source of infection / trigger
Usually reflects broad systemic response of sepsis
Things to consider in the presentation of sepsis
Localising symptoms/signs that point to the underlying cause
General symptoms or signs that reflect the severity of sepsis
Localising symptoms/signs that point to the underlying cause
Dysuria
Red hot knee
Inflamed site around cannula
Diarrhoea
General symptoms or signs that reflect the severity of sepsis
Reduced consciousness
Tachypneoa
Light-headedness
Low BP
Clinical findings - CNS
Headache
Photophobia
Confusion
Seizure
Clinical findings - Respiratory
Productive cough
Haemoptysis
Breathlessness
Clinical findings - Cardiovascular
Murmur
Chest pain
Clinical findings - GI
Diarrhoea
Abdominal pain
Clinical Findings - renal
Loin pain
Dysuria
Anuria
Clinical Findings - Joints/Skin
Erythema
Swelling
Tenderness
Cyanotic / Mottled
Clinical findings - other
Fever
Migrane
Severe myalgia
SOFA
Sequential organ failure assessment score
qSOFA - memory aid
15 22 00
<15 altered mental state GCS
>22 respiratory rate
<100 blood pressure - low
ROC curve values - diagnostic
0.7-0.8 OK
0.8-0.9 Very good
> 0.9 excellent
qSOFA diagnostic score
0.81
Very good diagnostic tool
Early immune response
TLRs
Release of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8 etc
Activation of complement, coagulation and phagocytes
Cellular immune response
Activation of B cells, neutrophils, myeloid derived suppressor cells
Humoral immune response
Production of immunoglobulins (IgM, IgG)
Anti-inflammatory events
Decrease of HLA-DR expression
T-cell exhaustion
Apoptosis of immune cells (lymphocytes, monocytes and antigen presenting cells )
Describe sepsis
System-wide release of cytokines, mediators and pathogen related molecules
Activation of coagulation ad complement pathways
Widespread inflammation, tissue damage, multi-organ dysfunction.