Septicemia, often referred to as sepsis or blood poisoning, is a critical medical emergency. It arises when your body’s response to an infection spirals out of control, causing damage to its own tissues and organs. This overreaction by the body’s immune system can quickly become life-threatening, demanding urgent medical intervention. Similar to conditions like heart attacks or strokes, recognizing and promptly treating septicemia is crucial for survival. Septicemia can progress to more severe stages, known as severe sepsis and septic shock.
While the term “blood poisoning” is commonly used, it’s not a medically precise description of septicemia. Understanding the difference and the true nature of this condition is vital.
Normally, your immune system is designed to protect you from infections caused by germs such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. When an infection occurs, the immune system works to combat these invaders, sometimes requiring assistance from medications like antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, or antiparasitics. However, in septicemia, the immune system malfunctions. Instead of solely targeting the infection, it begins to harm the body itself. The reasons behind this immune system malfunction are still being researched.
Certain individuals are at an elevated risk of developing septicemia because they are more susceptible to infections in general. This high-risk group includes infants, the elderly, individuals with chronic diseases, and those with compromised immune systems. Malnutrition can also increase vulnerability to infections, thereby raising the risk of septicemia.
Doctors diagnose septicemia based on a combination of signs and symptoms that manifest in response to an infection. The diagnosis isn’t solely based on the presence of an infection itself. If a patient exhibits multiple sepsis symptoms, especially when infection is evident or they belong to a high-risk category, medical professionals will strongly consider septicemia.
Septicemia advances to severe sepsis when signs of organ dysfunction appear in addition to the general symptoms of sepsis. These organ dysfunctions can include respiratory distress (lung issues), reduced or absent urine production (kidney problems), abnormal liver function tests, and changes in mental state (brain dysfunction).
Septic shock represents the most critical stage of septicemia. It’s characterized by a dangerously low blood pressure level that doesn’t respond sufficiently to fluid resuscitation. Patients in septic shock require intensive care unit (ICU) treatment and are often considered to be among the most critically ill individuals in a hospital setting.
In the United States, septicemia is the most expensive condition requiring hospitalization. The expenses associated with acute septicemia hospitalization and subsequent skilled nursing care are estimated to be approximately $62 billion annually. This substantial figure only reflects a portion of the total economic burden, as significant costs continue to accrue after hospital discharge for many patients.
The average cost of a hospital stay for septicemia is twice the average cost for all other hospital conditions. Moreover, septicemia is a leading cause of hospital readmissions, contributing to over $3.5 billion in costs each year.
Studies on survival rates for septicemia indicate that, on average, about 30% of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis do not survive. Among those who do recover, up to 50% may experience post-sepsis syndrome, a condition characterized by long-term physical and psychological effects. Until a definitive cure for septicemia is discovered, early detection and prompt treatment remain paramount for improving survival chances and minimizing long-term disability for survivors.
Updated January 13, 2022.
