Post by Lαrα on Jun 20, 2015 5:37:23 GMT -8
I was thinking today that I really should have done an information post on this already. Spinal Cord Injury causes many individuals to need to be catheterized and in turn this increases the risk of bladder infections.
With any infection in the body, there is a possibility of that infection spreading, especially if it isnt controlled. At this point, Sepsis is a real danger, Sepsis is mostly known as blood poisoning.
My father is currently suffering from this and is in hospital still..he now has abscesses and all from being catheterized and a hospital doctor who failed to give him anti biotics when he developed an infection.
For me, it stresses the importance of getting any sign of an infection, cultured asap and treatment begun.
How wonderful it would be if we had our own culture kits at home!
Some info:
In individuals with paralysis/spinal cord injury, an infection might begin as a urinary tract (bladder) infection, pneumonia, or as a wound, pressure ulcer or other infection. If the infection is not controlled locally, it can spread throughout the body.
Sepsis is then diagnosed. Septic shock is severe sepsis with a drop in blood pressure leading to organ failure. Both sepsis and septic shock are life threatening. Sometimes sepsis is called blood poisoning or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
General symptoms of sepsis
Some or all of the following symptoms may be present:
- Presence of infection or possible infection
- Elevated temperature, greater than 38.30C or 101.30F
- Fast heart rate, greater than 90 beats per minute
- Fast respiratory rate, greater than 20 breaths per minute
Other symptoms that may be present:
- Confusion or coma
- Edema especially in the extremities, neck, face
- Elevated blood sugar without diabetes
- Lower temperature below 36C or 97F
Diagnosis might also include components of these variables:
- Inflammation at the site of the initial infection or anywhere in the body
- Inability to maintain internal blood pressure to ensure that enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches all vital organs
- Tissue perfusion, lack of oxygen to any part of the body, most readily seen in the fingers/arms, toes/legs
Sepsis is diagnosed when there is an infection somewhere in the body AND one of the following:
- Organ dysfunction, failure of any internal organs
- organ dysfunction (organ failure)
- hypoxemia (inability to circulate oxygen to your tissues)
- oliguria (decreased urine output)
- lactic acidosis (drop in blood oxygen)
- elevated liver enzymes (liver dysfunction)
- altered cerebral function (confusion/coma)
Here is a sepsis card download from the Christopher and Diana Reeve Website :Sepsis card download
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