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Blood poisoning; Bacteremia with sepsis
Septicemia is a serious condition that requires a hospital stay. You may be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).
You may be given:
The outlook depends on the bacteria involved and how quickly the patient is hospitalized and treatment begins. The death rate is high -- more than 50% for some infections.
Septicemia can quickly lead to:
Septicemia due to meningococci can lead to shock or adrenal collapse (Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome).
Septicemia is not common but it is very serious. Diagnosing it early may prevent septicemia from worsening to shock.
Seek immediate care if:
Call your health care provider if your child's vaccinations are not up-to-date.
Munford RS, Suffredini AF. Sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009: chap 70.
Shapiro NI, Zimmer GD, Barkin AZ. Sepsis syndromes. In: Marx, JA, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009: chap 136.
Orenstein WA, Pickering LK. Immunization practices. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011: chap 165.
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