Understanding Septic Shock: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

NURSING ASSIGNMENT 1
Nursing Assignment
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Professor’s Name
City
Date

NURSING ASSIGNMENT 2
Introduction
The case scenario is about an overseas traveller who presents to the hospital with
abdominal pain and supra-pubic catheter in situ and blood is noted in the urine. When his vitals
are taken, his blood pressure is low at 84/50 mmHg, a very low temperature of 35.7 C and
healthy blood sugar of 5.4 mmol. The GCS score is 14 and oxygen saturation increased from 86
per cent to 96 per cent. The patient is seen confused, and when the blood is tested, it shows a
developed acute kidney injury and pseudomonas in the urine and E-coli in the blood culture are
noted. The patient has a history of diverticulitis and prostate. These observations indicate a septic
shock condition and the essay discusses its history, along with the interdependence amidst the
underlying anatomy, physiology along with pathophysiological processes. Moreover, it will
consider and justify the critical diagnostic measures inclusive of specific clinical signs relating to
the physiology.
Septic shock
Sepsis is a possible deadly health condition which is generated by a body’s reaction to
infection (Hotchkiss et al., 2016). Typically, the body emancipates chemicals into the
bloodstream to fight infection. When the body's reaction to these chemicals is out of balance is
when sepsis happens to actuate changes which could harm several organ systems. In case this
sepsis progresses to septic shock, blood pressure falls resulting in hypotension and abnormalities
in cellular metabolism (Topping, 2016).
The symptoms of septic shock may develop in case sepsis is left untreated and they
consist of confusion, loss of consciousness, producing less urine, acute muscle discomfort and
acute shortness of breath. Also, low body temperature or hypothermia, rapid heart rate and
expeditious breathing of greater than 20 breaths per minute are signs of septic shock (Edman-

NURSING ASSIGNMENT 3
Wallér, Ljungström, Jacobsson, Andersson and Werner, 2016). Any kind of bacteria can cause
septic shock and viruses or fungi although rare might also generate the condition. When left
untreated, toxins emancipated by the fungi or bacteria might result in tissue injury which might
result in hypotension along with organ malfunction (Shankar-Hari et al., 2016). Septic shock
may also originate from urinary tract infection or reproductive system infection. The risk factors
to this condition include vulnerability to devices such as intravenous catheters, urinary catheters
which could allow microorganisms into the body. Other risk factors are long-term use of
antimicrobials, diverticulitis, poor nutrition and recent infection (Kaplan et al., 2015).
Any person can get septic shock although it is most common in individuals with a weak
immune system, the body’s natural defenses against infection. These people may include babies,
elderly individuals, and people with severe long-term health conditions such as kidney disease or
cancer (Kaplan et al., 2015). The opportunity of surviving septic shock depends on the number of
organs that are not functioning correctly, the cause of infection or how soon therapy is initiated.
Complications of this condition consist of kidney injury or failure and abnormal blood clotting.
Furthermore, it may include the inability of the lungs to take in adequate oxygen and the heart
incapacity to pump sufficient blood around the body or heart failure.
The interrelationship between the underlying anatomy, physiology along with
pathophysiological processes of septic shock
Pathophysiology is the abnormal physiological processes of disease. A fundamental role
in the growth of acute sepsis is played by an immune along with coagulation reaction to a disease
(Russell, Rush and Boyd, 2018). Anti-inflammatory along with pro-inflammatory responses take
part in septic shock. Widespread inflammatory reactions are involved in septic shock which