Sepsis Research Paper

Sepsis is a widespread infection that triggers a whole body inflammatory response. It does not arise on its own but originated from an underlining medical condition such as an infection. Some like to view sepsis as a three stage illness. In this paper I will be discussing what sepsis is, what population is most affected and some of the characteristics or signs and symptoms of the infection.
According to the Mayo clinic article titled “Sepsis” it is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. It occurs as certain chemicals are released into the bloodstream to fight the infection and triggers an inflammatory response. It can cause a number of changes, including depriving the body from certain nutrients and oxygen which can lead to multi-organ failure. It can cause blood clots, which in then lead to poor oxygen delivery to tissues organ which is why organ can and will begin to fail. It is a serious illness that can overwhelm the body’s immune system. It can be caused by bacteria, fungal or viral infection, most of those are stem …show more content…
Some of the symptoms you may see would be a drop in blood pressure, fever, chills, delirium and/or rapid heartbeat referred to as tachycardia. According to Medline Plus article titled “sepsis” when and if the blood pressure drops it results in septic shock, the second stage of sepsis. Many of the body vital organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs stops functioning properly due to the restriction of blood flow to them. Two of the early symptoms of sepsis may included a change in mental status and very rapid breathing. Once the healthcare provider has determined a person may be septic he/she may order test to confirm such as blood gases and kidney function test. Blood sample with be drawn to determine the infection it self. Since all infection are not able to be diagnosed through blood samples other test are used to determine that exact origin of the