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Bacteremia
is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. This may be of primary origin (direct entry into the bloodstream via needles, contaminated infusions, catheters, etc.) or secondary (from a primary source of infection through hematogenous or lymphatic dissemination). Most of the time the body itself is able to eliminate them without the infection occurring.
Inorder to define Septicemia,It is neccessary to define Sepsis
Sepsis
A systemic inflammatory reaction, complex and severe, due to an infectious process. This results from a complex interaction between the infecting microorganism and the host’s pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant immune response. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa.
Septicemia
would be something like sepsis + bacteremia , but this term is not properly used. Many professionals use it as a synonym for sepsis. In sepsis besides the intense inflammatory process, there is also the multiplication of bacteria in the blood, sometimes associated with release of toxins, leaving the clinical picture even worse.
Bacteremia, if it develops into an infection, can cause sepsis. Sepsis can be triggered by any infection, be it blood, urinary, pulmonary, intestinal, skin, etc. The local infection can also reach the bloodstream and cause widespread infection.
The host’s response and the characteristics of the infecting organism are the main pathophysiological variables of sepsis. In this way sepsis progresses when the host can not contain the primary infection due to resistance to opsonization, phagocytosis, antibiotics and the presence of superantigens.
Sepsis, Severe Sepsis, and Septic shock are evolutionary stages of infectious disease.
Below is a table with the various difference between Bacteremia and Septicemia
Bacteremia | Septicemia | |
1. | Bacteremia is the simple presence of bacteria in the blood. | Septicemia is the presence and multiplication of bacteria in the blood. |
2. | Bacteremia is not as dangerous as Septicemia. | Septicemia is a potentially life-threatening infection. |
3. | Less amount of bacteria are present in blood. | Large amounts of bacteria are present in the blood. |
4. | This may occur through a wound or infection, or through a surgical procedure or injection. | It can arise from infections throughout the body, including infections in the lungs, abdomen, and urinary tract. |
5. | Toxins are not produced. | Toxins may be produced by bacteria. |
6. | Bacteremia usually causes no symptoms or it may produce mild fever. | It shows symptoms like chills, fever, prostration, very fast respiration and/or heart rate. |
7. | It can resolve without treatment. | Untreated septicemia can quickly progress to sepsis. |
8. | Rapidly removed from the bloodstream by the immune system. | Antibiotics will be used to treat the bacterial infection that is causing septicemia. |
9. | Caused by Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, E. coli, dental procedures, herpes (including herpetic whitlow), urinary tract infections, peritonitis, Clostridium difficile colitis, intravenous drug use, and colorectal cancer. | Staphylococci, are thought to cause more than 50% of cases of sepsis. Other commonly implicated bacteria include Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species and even Candida spp. |
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