Frequent cause of death in Germany Blood poisoning often underestimated

Fast lethal: Blood poisoning is the third leading cause of death in Germany
Hardly any disease is as underestimated here in Germany as the blood poisoning. Not only people with a weakened immune system can hit a sepsis, even for healthy people there is danger. The disease can be fatal within a few hours and is the third leading cause of death in Germany.

Third most frequent cause of death in Germany
It can be fatal within a few hours and is the third leading cause of death in Germany: sepsis, also called blood poisoning. To avoid the often lifelong consequences, fast action is required. But all too often a blood poisoning is not recognized or recognized late. An intensive care physician explains which alarm signals you should pay attention to.

Blood poisoning is the third leading cause of death in Germany. The disease, which can be fatal within a few hours,
but is still often underestimated. (Image: Zerbor / fotolia.com)

Causes of sepsis are manifold
A lung or urinary tract infection, an infected wound, a purulent tooth: the causes of sepsis are manifold. Approximately 280,000 people fall ill each year in Germany with this fatal infection, in about 60,000 people, the disease ends fatally.

"Sepsis is always an emergency. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted immediately upon suspicion, "explains Dr. med. Johannes Kalbhenn, Senior Physician Intensive Therapy of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine of the University Hospital Freiburg in a communication.

Particularly vulnerable are people with weakened immune systems, such as premature babies, diabetes or cancer patients, and patients immediately after surgery.

To reduce the risk of sepsis, these people should be particularly careful to disinfect wounds carefully and to have poorly healing wounds regularly checked by a doctor.

Excessive immune response to infection
Sepsis is triggered by a mostly bacterial infection. If the body fails to successfully fight the pathogens at the site of inflammation, they can eventually enter the bloodstream in large numbers and a generalized infection occurs.

The body is flooded, so to speak, with the pathogens and the toxins they produce, which activates the immune system very strongly.

"Sepsis is physiologically and biochemically an expression of an exaggerated immune response of the patient to infection. We have to quickly identify and treat the source of infection in order to save the patient, "says the intensive care physician.

Varied warning signals
Sepsis can be characterized by a number of symptoms: fever, malaise, chills, very low blood pressure, high heart rate and fast, shallow breathing are typical signs.

If left untreated, blood pressure drops so much that vital organs such as the heart, lungs and brain are no longer supplied with sufficient oxygen. This can manifest itself in confusion and impaired kidney function.

If several organs are affected, this is called multi-organ failure. "Such a condition is acutely life-threatening and needs to be treated as soon as possible in an intensive care unit," says dr. Kalbhenn.

Therapy in many places at the same time
Among other things by blood tests, the doctors identify the causative microorganisms. This is then treated with the most appropriate antibiotics - an increasingly difficult task in times of advancing antibiotic resistance.

In addition, doctors administer liquid and medication via an infusion to stabilize blood pressure and prevent further organ dysfunction. Organ replacement therapies are used when the kidneys have failed, called blood or dialysis.

Oxygen or artificial respiration become necessary when the patient is threatened by respiratory failure.

At the same time, doctors are trying to remove or cleanse the infection. This can be done by opening and rinsing wounds or dental implants, or by surgically removing infected tissue.

Red dash as a warning sign?
Widely used is the assumption that a red stripe that rises towards the heart indicates blood poisoning and is fatal when it reaches the heart. This is not valid for a package.

"The red stripe indicates an inflammation of the lymphatic vessels. It does not have to, but it can develop into a sepsis. That's why those affected should get medical treatment as quickly as possible, "explains Dr. med. Kalbhenn.

And: "Basically, it can be said: a rapid diagnosis, consistent identification of the germs, as well as antibiotic therapy and the purge of the source of infection are indispensable for sepsis therapy," says the expert. (Ad)