Bacterial Sepsis Questions & Answers

Updated: Feb 03, 2023
  • Author: Amber Mahmood Bokhari, MBBS; Chief Editor: Michael Stuart Bronze, MD  more...
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Questions & Answers

Overview

What is bacterial sepsis?

How is multiple organ dysfunction characterized in bacterial sepsis?

What is the definition of septic shock?

What is pseudosepsis?

What causes bacterial sepsis?

What is the clinical presentation of bacterial sepsis?

Which lab tests are performed in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

Which imaging studies are performed in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

Which cardiac studies are performed in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

Which invasive diagnostic procedures are performed in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the initial treatment for bacterial sepsis?

How does the site of bacterial sepsis affect the selection of empiric antimicrobial therapy?

When is surgery indicated in the treatment of bacterial sepsis?

How are antibiotics selected for the treatment of bacterial sepsis?

When was bacterial sepsis first identified?

When were the guidelines on bacterial sepsis last revised?

What are the organ-specific causes of bacterial sepsis?

What are the noninfectious causes of fever and organ dysfunction that can mimic bacterial sepsis?

What is the pathophysiology of bacterial sepsis?

What is the prognosis of bacterial sepsis?

What is the prognosis of bacterial sepsis in patients with abnormal host immune response?

How does the risk for mortality from bacterial sepsis vary among infection sites?

How does the risk for mortality from bacterial sepsis vary among infection types?

How does antimicrobial therapy affect the prognosis of bacterial sepsis?

Which factors increase the risk of mortality from bacterial sepsis?

Which patient groups have the highest incidence of bacterial sepsis?

Which are the most common organisms causing bacterial sepsis?

What are risk factors for bacterial sepsis and septic shock?

Presentation

What are the general signs and symptoms of bacterial sepsis?

What are the signs and symptoms of respiratory infection in bacterial sepsis?

Which clinical findings are characteristic of GI or GU infection in bacterial sepsis?

Which clinical findings are characteristic of IV line infection in bacterial sepsis?

What are the signs and symptoms of surgical wound infection in bacterial sepsis?

What are the signs and symptoms of end-organ hypoperfusion in bacterial sepsis?

Which clinical findings may be present in bacterial sepsis in the elderly?

Which clinical findings may be present in bacterial sepsis in younger patients?

Which clinical findings are characteristic of bacterial sepsis in patients with chronic hypertension?

Which clinical findings are characteristic of bacterial sepsis during pregnancy?

DDX

How is bacterial sepsis diagnosed?

How is pseudosepsis differentiated from bacterial sepsis?

What are the signs of immunocompromise in bacterial sepsis?

What are the differential diagnoses for Bacterial Sepsis?

Workup

Which studies are included in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of CBC count in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of complete metabolic profile in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of bacterial cultures in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of gram staining in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of urinalysis in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of microbiology in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

Which lab test findings suggest an underlying etiology of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of PCT measurement in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of chest radiography in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of chest CT in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of ultrasonography in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of abdominal CT scanning and MRI in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of cardiac studies in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of thoracentesis in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of surgical incision and drainage in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of bronchoscopy in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of Swan-Ganz catheterization in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of soft tissue imaging studies in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of contrast-enhanced CT or MRI in the workup of bacterial sepsis?

Treatment

How is bacterial sepsis treated?

What is the role of surgery in the treatment of bacterial sepsis?

Which specialist consultations are beneficial to patients with bacterial sepsis?

Which antimicrobials are used in empiric monotherapy regimens for the treatment of bacterial sepsis?

What is the role of combination antimicrobial regimens for treatment of bacterial sepsis?

How is catheter-related bacterial sepsis treated?

How is bacterial sepsis in the biliary tract treated?

How is intra-abdominal and pelvic bacterial sepsis treated?

How is urosepsis treated?

How are staphylococcal, pneumococcal, and meningococcal-caused bacterial sepsis treated?

How is bacterial sepsis of unknown origin treated?

What is included in the long-term monitoring of bacterial sepsis?

Guidelines

Which treatment guidelines are available for bacterial sepsis?

Which major new recommendations for the management of bacterial sepsis were published in 2012?

Which major new recommendations for the management of bacterial sepsis were published in 2016?

Medications

What are goals of drug treatment for bacterial sepsis?

Which medications in the drug class Antibiotics, Other are used in the treatment of Bacterial Sepsis?