Sepsis Flashcards
What is Sepsis?
Sepsis is life threatening organ dysfunction due to a disregulated host response to infection.
What is septic shock?
Persisting hypotension requiring treatment to maintain blood pressure despite fluid resuscitation
What is bacteriamia?
The presence of bacteria in our blood.
What are some of the clinically recognisable features of Sepsis?
They appear generally ill, have a raised respiratory rate, temperature and and lowered blood pressure.
What is the sepsis 6 bundle?
Oxygen, blood culture, IV antibiotics, fluid challenge, lactate
What are some of the processes leading to inflammation in sepsis?
Endotoxin binds to macropahhages, the release of cytokines TNF and IL-1, the cytokines are released into the circulation and then the infection is not controlled.
What are some of the effects of the coagulation cascade in sepsis patients?
Cytokines encourage the production of thrombin and then coagulation, which leads to microvascular thrombosis and then organ Ischemia, dysfunction and possible progressive necrosis of some of the limbs
What is some of the supportive treatments that you can give to patients experiencing sepsis?
Consider early referral to the ITU, the sepsis 6 and regular monitoring and reassessment.
What are some of the life threatening complications of sepsis?
Irreversible hypotension, respiratory failure, acute kidney failure, raised inter cranial pressure, and ischameic necrosis of hands and feet.
Name some features of the neisseria menningitis bacterium.
Gram negative diplococcus, has numerous serogroups based on the polysachirde capulsar antigen, and evades immune response by preventing phagocytosis.
What are some of the vaccines that are available for mennigitis?
Mennigocal C conjugate vaccine (widely used and effective), ACWY vaccines (usually only for immunocomprimised vaccines, and Serogroup B vaccine which has just been introduced.
What are the common treatments for sepsis?
Supportive treatment such as fluid resiutication, and antibiotic treatment mainly by cefratrixone which is a cepllhasporin that penetrates the CSF
How does progressive necrosis occur during sepsis?
There is circulatory collapse, loss of blood supply to the non vital organs such as hands and feet that may need to be amputated
How is crp produced from the macrophages?
Macrophages produce factors sucj as interleukin 1 and tumour necorosis factor which as well as going to the hypothalamus to increase the body temperature and the prostaglandin sytheiss, will also cause the liver to produce CRP
What are the actions of CRP?
Binds to phospholipids on the surface of bacterial actings as an oposin stimunlating phagocytes, and also activates the complememt system.
