Blood infection, also known as sepsis, is identified as a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. Medics accentuate that the body normally releases chemicals into the bloodstream to fight infection. Sepsis, therefore, occurs when the body’s response to these chemicals is out of balance, eliciting changes that can harm multiple organ systems.

According to Dr Kenneth Ruzindana, a consultant at Kigali University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), sepsis is a serious illness that happens when an infection travels through the whole body.

He says, sepsis can happen to anyone, however,  it is more likely to happen to people who are older or bedridden, are staying in the hospital or have had recent surgery, have thin tubes such as catheters or IVs in their body, have a weak infection-fighting system (for example, because they are being treated for cancer), young children and seniors.

People with weaker immune systems, such as those with HIV or those in chemotherapy treatment for cancer, people being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) are also likely to suffer from the illness, he adds.

Ruzindana explains sepsis can come from an infection in any part of the body, but it is most often linked to infections in the lungs (called pneumonia), kidneys (known as urinary tract infection), skin (called cellulitis), and bowel (called colitis).

He says that sepsis caused by colitis is especially likely after a course of antibiotics. Sepsis needs to be treated quickly. If it is not treated, it can become severe. When this happens, it is called "septic shock.” Septic shock is life-threatening.

Dr Iba Mayele, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Clinic Galien, Kimironko, says sepsis develops when the chemicals that the immune system releases into the bloodstream to fight an infection cause inflammation throughout the entire body instead.

He adds, although any type of infection bacterial, viral or fungal can lead to sepsis, the most likely varieties include; pneumonia, infection of the digestive system (which includes organs such as the stomach and colon), infection of the kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system, bloodstream infection (bacteraemia).

Iba states that people who take drugs that suppress the immune system, like steroids and those used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, very young babies, the elderly and people with diabetes, are at risk of sepsis.

It can begin anywhere; bacteria or viruses enter the body. So, it could sometimes be caused by something as minor as a scraped knee or nicked cuticle. If you have a more serious medical problem such as appendicitis, meningitis, you are also at risk, he notes.

Ruzindana says you can help prevent sepsis by getting treated right away if you get an infection, avoiding infections; one way to avoid infections is to get the vaccines your doctor recommends. Vaccines can prevent serious or deadly infections. If you have a child, make sure he or she gets the recommended vaccines, too.

SYMPTOMS 

Ruzindana says some people get a low body temperature instead of fever, chills, fast breathing and heartbeat, acting confused or feeling light-headed, trouble breathing, cool clammy skin or red flushed skin, poor appetite, urinating much less than usual.

EFFECTS 

Mayele says severe sepsis or septic shock can also cause complications. Small blood clots can form throughout your body, these clots block the flow of blood and oxygen to vital organs and other parts of your body. This increases the risk of organ failure and tissue death (gangrene).

He says if you have symptoms of sepsis, your doctor will order tests to make a diagnosis and determine the severity of your infection. One of the first tests is a blood test. Your blood is checked for complications like; infection, clotting problems, abnormal liver or kidney function, decreased amount of oxygen, an imbalance in minerals called electrolytes that affect the amount of water in your body as well as the acidity of your blood.

"Depending on your symptoms and the results of your blood test, your doctor may order other tests, including; a urine test (to check for bacteria in your urine), a wound secretion test (to check an open wound for an infection), a mucous secretion test (to identify germs responsible for an infection),” Mayele says.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com