Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where your body has an extreme response to an infection. It can happen to anyone with an infection, but it's more common in older adults, very young children, and people with weakened immune systems. Prompt recognition and treatment are crucial because sepsis can quickly lead to organ failure and death.
Sepsis is a dysregulated host response to infection, characterized by life-threatening organ dysfunction. Septic shock is a subset of sepsis defined by persistent hypotension requiring vasopressors to maintain mean arterial pressure and having a serum lactate level greater than 2 mmol/L despite adequate fluid resuscitation.
| Condition | Distinguishing Feature |
|---|---|
| Anaphylaxis | Rapid onset of symptoms following exposure to an allergen, often with urticaria and angioedema, and typically responsive to epinephrine. |
| Cardiogenic Shock | Evidence of primary cardiac dysfunction (e.g., myocardial infarction, severe heart failure) with elevated jugular venous pressure and often pulmonary edema. |
| Hypovolemic Shock | History of significant fluid loss (e.g., hemorrhage, dehydration, burns) with dry mucous membranes and absent bowel sounds. |
| Neurogenic Shock | Associated with spinal cord injury, resulting in hypotension and bradycardia with warm, dry skin below the level of injury. |
| Adrenal Crisis | Can present with hypotension and shock, but often associated with hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and eosinophilia, and a history of adrenal insufficiency or steroid use. |
| Pulmonary Embolism | Sudden onset dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain, with risk factors for VTE, and can lead to obstructive shock. |
Management of sepsis and septic shock is time-sensitive and involves prompt administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics, aggressive fluid resuscitation with crystalloids, and vasopressors to maintain adequate mean arterial pressure. Source control of infection, if identified, is also a critical component of treatment.