Septic Shock: A Case Study

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Shock is the condition that occurs when the body’s organs lack the oxygen they need due to a lack of blood supply. This can be due to a decreased total blood volume, decreased cardiac output, or improper vasodilation (de Moya, 2013). This widespread hypoxia causes cell dysfunction that causes tissue injury and eventually death (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Septic shock results from improper vasodilation that causes blood to inappropriately disperse throughout the body, and is a form of distributive shock (de Moya, 2013).
SIRS, sepsis, and septic shock are clinical stages along a continuum (Gobel & Peterson, 2010). The progression to septic shock begins with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which is an inflammatory response that is confirmed when two of eight clinical signs are present (see Clinical Manifestations). This inflammation can occur from infection or non-infectious processes such as trauma. Sepsis is diagnosed when an infection is confirmed and SIRS is present (Tazbir, 2012). Infections that lead to sepsis are typically caused by …show more content…
Cultures are considered the “gold standard” and need to be obtained promptly before starting antibiotic therapy. It is important that cultures are not obtained through an intravenous line that was placed less than 48 hours prior, due to IV lines needing to be discontinued if they are a suspected source of infection (Kleinpell, Aitkin, & Schorr, 2013). The diagnoses of sepsis and septic shock must be done by evaluating the patient as a whole. It is important to consider culture results as well as trends in vital signs, labs, and clinical symptoms (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Worsening laboratory values are often a sign of severe sepsis and can be an indicator of a worsening condition (Lopez-Bushnell et al,

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