Hey /adv/
I'm in the hospital, I had surgery yesterday afternoon and today I've become really sick. I'll be honest with you guys, i'm scared. The nurse told me theyll be moving me to the icu. My heart is going really quick and my blood pressure is starting to drop, i have a fever. Any med bros out there able to explan what sepsis is in laymans terms? I know its like an infection or something. Cheer me up please, i'm a bit worried.
The same thing happened to me OP. Sepsis can be fatal, but usually isn't. I was in the ICU for two nights with dangerously low blood pressure, and I really thought I was going to die.
Good luck anon. I wouldn't worry too much if I were you
MedBro here: Sepsis is essentially a blood infection due to an excess of bateria that somehow got into your bloodstream. You have bacteria in your blood, but it doesn't sound like it's gonna be fatal since you were in the hospital when they caught it.
>>17366625
This isn't quite right. You can have sepsis without bacteraemia.
Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to infection. Inflammatory signals cause all the tiny blood vessels in your body to dilate which can drop your blood pressure (and your heart rate increases to compensate).
The main issues with this is that your organs don't get the pressure they need to be perfused. Kidneys are especially vulnerable, but they respond very quickly.
All in all, if you're young and you're well enough to be able to post this, you'll be fine.
>>17366591
It's dangerous for anybody, but for those in the ICU of a hospital (a really fucking safe place to be), generally only life-threatening for the very young, the very old, or those with weakened immune systems.
You're in the very best place you could be, surrounded by exactly the professionals you want to be surrounded by. You're going to be okay.