Minimum of 200 words - write your response addressing each of the questions - A
ID: 227198 • Letter: M
Question
Minimum of 200 words - write your response addressing each of the questions -
A patient has gone to the hospital for a routine kidney stone surgery. As part of the surgery, a stent was put in place to allow proper drainage. About a week after the surgery, the patient began experiencing chills and a fever. She was admitted to the hospital and quickly moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where it was determined she had gone into septic shock. Research and describe the role of G- and G+ bacteria in causing septic shock. What are potential side effects? What should be done to treat the patient?
Explanation / Answer
Septic shock is a serious medical condition that happens when sepsis, which is organ injury or damage in response to infection, leads to dangerously low blood pressure and abnormalities in cellular metabolism. Microbial infection or intoxication (release of toxin) can stimulate host cells to initiate a cascade of inflammatory mediators. These mediators effect cellular, microvascular and hormonal events that are recognized clinically as sepsis, severe sepsis or sepsis with the shock state and multiorgan system dysfunction. Septic shock have been caused by both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. The predominant Gram negative bacteria which cause septic shock include, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Whereas Gram positive bacteria include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Potential side effects of septic shock can include a variety of dangerous and life-threatening complications which lead to multi-organ dysfunction. Possible complications include; respiratory, heart (stroke), kidney and liver failure and abnormal blood clotting.
Treatment primarily consists of injecting intravenous fluids, antibiotic therapy and support of major organ dysfunction. Antibiotic therapy include administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics within the first hour succeeding to the recognition of septic shock. Prompt antimicrobial therapy is essential as risk of dying increases by approximately 10% for every hour of delay in receiving antibiotics.