Septicaemia, also known as septicemia and bacteremia, is the medical term for an infection of the blood, or blood poisoning. Septicaemia is a bacterial infection, often forming from the same bacteria that can cause meningitis. Septicaemia can be a very serious condition - it develops very quickly and frequently results in death if not caught and treated swiftly.

According to the University of Virginia Health System, the symptoms of septicaemia are quickly visible because the nature of the blood stream allows the infection to develop rapidly. As blood is pumped throughout the body, the infection is able to move with the aid of the body's natural actions. Septicaemia first develops what can appear to be flu-like symptoms, including a high fever, chills, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Heart rate accelerates and the person afflicted appears noticeably ill.

Hypothermia (a significant decrease in body temperature) and hypotension (low blood pressure) can be signs of septicaemia. Urination can become sparse if occurring at all, per the University of Maryland Medical Center. The National Institutes of Health describe a few different tests that may be administered by a doctor to determine whether septicaemia is present. Blood or urine samples may be tested. A lumbar puncture can also reveal septicaemia. Septicaemia can be very dangerous. It can develop into septic shock, which claims the lives of as many as half of its victims.

Frequently, septicaemia is caused by a complication involving another infection in the body, such as an infection of the lungs, an untreated kidney infection, or an unclean cut or surgical incision that becomes infected. Users of intravenous drugs face a greater chance of suffering from septicaemia.

It is very important to catch septicaemia early because it develops so quickly and its prognosis is similarly bleak. Medical attention is needed promptly for septicaemia. As a bacterial infection, it is treated with antibiotics, administered intravenously. Oxygen, fluids, and other medicines may also be administered to deal with the symptoms and complications that septicaemia can cause.

Septicaemia is a serious condition involving a bacterial infection of the blood. Its symptoms can appear somewhat like a severe flu, but they develop far more quickly because of the source of the infection. Septicaemia, along with the spectrum of bacterial infections that can cause it, should never be left untreated as it can become fatal depending on the speed of treatment and the specific bacteria. If you have any questions or concerns about septicaemia, talk to your doctor.

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