Especially in the early stages of blood poisoning, the symptoms are difficult to detect. This is because the complaints are often unspecific, so could also be caused by many other diseases. Signs of blood poisoning must nevertheless be recognized quickly in order to stop the event. The chances of recovery increase with an early diagnosis. Mostly also the knowledge about previous infections helps. Read here how you can recognize a sepsis.
Blood poisoning: symptoms in the early stages
In the first phase of blood poisoning, certain changes can be an important indication of the disease. Because they are not specific, coexistence of the following symptoms is another indication that blood poisoning may be present:
- heated skin, sometimes in addition rash
- high fever (over 38 degrees Celsius), often in conjunction with chills; Caution: Especially very young and very old sepsis patients have instead of fever under temperature (below 36 degrees Celsius, “hypothermia”).
- confusion
- accelerated breathing (hyperventilation)
- accelerated heartbeat (tachycardia)
- bad general condition
- pale or gray skin color
- The number of white blood cells (leucocytes) that are responsible for the body’s defense is increased in most sepsis patients. In severe cases of blood poisoning, however, the leukocyte level can also be significantly reduced.
Depending on the site of the infection, further sepsis symptoms often occur:
- in lung infections: shortness of breath and / or purulent sputum
- in urinary tract infections: pain when urinating and / or altered urinary odor
- in infections of the central nervous system (such as meningitis): severe headache, increased photosensitivity of the eyes, torticollis
- in abdominal infections (such as appendicitis): abdominal pain
Severe sepsis (blood poisoning): symptoms
If left untreated, toxemia will damage and ultimately cause failure of various organs. Here are some examples:
Has the blood poisoning on the liver It can lead to jaundice (jaundice), a yellowish discoloration of the skin.
A sepsis can be the kidney function which causes the patient to excrete less and less urine – all the way to complete kidney failure.
The circulation worsens because the blood clots more easily. Thus, small clots can narrow or block the tiny blood vessels (capillaries). The tissues or organs in question then no longer receive sufficient oxygen. In this way, blood poisoning can cause symptoms characterized by sudden organ failure, such as stroke, kidney failure or heart attack.
Septic shock after blood poisoning: symptoms
Blood poisoning, in its most threatening form, can cause blood pressure to drop to extremely low levels. The culprit is a strong blood vessel dilation triggered by inflammatory messengers. The organs are then no longer supplied with sufficient oxygen through the bloodstream and fail (septic multiorgan failure). Even with intensive care treatment, the mortality rate in a septic shock is still at about 60 percent. The drop in blood pressure is also seen in lying patients by a sudden, drastic deterioration of the general condition and often by a loss of consciousness.
This event places the highest demands on modern medicine in the treatment of Blood poisoning. symptoms Often, even with state-of-the-art high-tech medicine, this characteristic can not be controlled. Therefore, early and competent treatment of sepsis is particularly important.