Posted by Sepsis is a life-treating condition caused by an infection in somewhere in the body and ends up spreading throughout the body by way of the blood. I chose sepsis because I was interested in the immune system since the semester started. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for my project but while researching more about the immune system and what it deals with I came across sepsis and remembered my dad mentioning that he had sepsis earlier in his life. So to hear his experience with it made me want to do a little more digging and what happens in the body/why it is so life-threatening. I’m glad my dad caught it early enough and beat it.
Autumn’s STEAM project is about sepsis, an infection that spreads throughout the body through the bloodstream, which can often be life-threatening. The most common infections of sepsis are bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. The immune system tries to fight off the infection with neutrophils and monocytes (WBC’s). Sepsis can spread two ways, the first stage is hyperinflammatory, where the body is taken over by inflammation after spreading through the body via bloodstream, attacking organs while spreading rapidly. The second stage is hyperinflammatory, suppressing the immune system for a long period of time at a slower rate. You’re at high risk to become sepsis if admitted into the hospital because you are more susceptible to infections due to a weakened immune system. Sepsis can lead to multi-organ damage/failure if not caught or treated on time. Signs and symptoms of sepsis include: low/high WBC counts, dizziness and confusion, rapid heart rate/respirations, low urine output, diarrhea, hyper/hypothermia, and vomiting. Sepsis can be treated by antibiotic treatments including: ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, azithromycin, and piperacillin-tazobactam. IV fluids can help maintain a steady blood pressure and help circulate blood to flush out the organs of any toxins that may be present. It is essential to treat sepsis as soon as possible to protect vital organs within the body.