What is Septic Shock?

About Septic shock:

• It is a serious medical condition that can occur when an infection in your body causes extremely low blood pressure and organ failure due to sepsis.
• Septic shock is life-threatening and requires immediate medical treatment.
• It’s the most severe stage of sepsis.
• It occurs most often in the very old and the very young.  It may also occur in people with weakened immune systems.
• It is typically diagnosed when the signs of severe sepsis are present, along with low blood pressure and signs of organ dysfunction.
• Risk factors for septic shock include:
  • Diabetes;
  • Diseases of the genitourinary system, biliary system, or intestinal system;
  • Diseases that weaken the immune system, such as AIDS;
  • Leukemia;
  • Heart failure;
  • Kidney failure;
  • Abnormal blood clotting;

What’s the difference between Septic shock and Sepsis?

• Sepsis occurs when your body has an extreme reaction to an infection.
• This reaction causes drastic changes in the body and can be very dangerous and potentially life threatening.
• Doctors have identified three stages of sepsis:
  • Sepsis. An infection reaches the bloodstream and causes inflammation in the body.
  • Severe sepsis. The infection is severe enough to affect organ function.
  • Septic shock. There’s a significant drop in blood pressure that can lead to respiratory or heart failure, stroke, dysfunction of other organs, and possibly death.
• Sepsis is most often caused by bacterial infections, but almost any infection can cause sepsis if left untreated.
• The transition from the onset of sepsis to severe sepsis and septic shock can happen quickly, and once the condition has transitioned, the mortality rate increases.

Q1) What is hydrocortisone?

Hydrocortisone is a steroid (corticosteroid) medicine. It works by calming down your body’s immune response to reduce pain, itching and swelling (inflammation). It can also be used as hormone replacement for people who do not have enough of the natural stress hormone, cortisol.

Source: Researchers find how hydrocortisone improve treatment of septic shock

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