sep·ti·cae·mia in AM, use septicemia Septicaemia is blood poisoning. a serious condition in which infection spreads from a part of your body through your blood = blood poisoning (septicus ( SEPTIC) + -aimia (from haima ))
invasion of the bloodstream by virulent microorganisms from a focus of infection
or blood poisoning Invasion of the bloodstream, after surgery or infectious disease, by microorganisms typically gram-negative (see gram stain) bacteria and the toxins they release. The latter trigger immune responses and widespread coagulation in blood vessels. High fever, chills, weakness, and sweating are followed by a drop in blood pressure. Multiple infections are often present, requiring broad-spectrum antibiotics as well as drainage of foci of infection. Without immediate treatment, septic shock follows, with a mortality rate over 50%. Invasive technology and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals have made septicemia more severe and more common. See also bacteremia
Multiplication of microorganisms in the blood Septicemia is often secondary to wounds or to the massive reproduction of another pathogen Host tissues are disrupted and entry of facultatively pathogenic bacteria into the hemocoel is allowed
The presence of bacteria or fungi in the blood usually as a result of spread from another site of infection such as skin, bowel, or urinary tract It is usually associated with high fever, shaking chills, and heavy sweating It is more likely to occur in patients with marked deficiencies of white blood cells
n (sep-teh-SEE-mee-ah) Systemic disease associated with the presence and persistence of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins in the blood Also called blood poisoning
the physiological response to the presenceof bacteria in the blood Symptoms include increased cardiac and respiratory rates, and fluctuations in body temperature See also septic shock