1. Any Bacteria in the Blood is Abnormal
The circulatory system is closed, protected from outside germs by layers of membranes designed to keep blood sterile, among other things. If you have a bacterial blood infection or bacteremia, you can be sure that something introduced bacteria into your system. This something could be surgery, an open wound, an indwelling catheter or IV or any other item that has punctured the body.
2. The Body's Response to Bacterial Blood Infections
Your immune system knows that bacteria are not supposed to be present in blood. Therefore, the response when bacteria makes its way in is extreme. With minor intrusions, your body's own white blood cells can usually fight off the bacteria before the infection becomes a major problem. Because the immune system takes down bacteria in the blood so quickly, most bacterial blood infections do not last. If they do, the consequences are major. With more serious infections, however, your entire system can become septic and cause a myriad of medical problems. Sepsis is a term for the body's inflammatory response to bacteremia.
3. Symptoms of Bacterial Blood Infections
Bacteremia manifests itself in ways typical of infections. If you have a bacterial blood infection, you might experience fever, chills and shaking, rapid heartbeat, fast breathing, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, decreased urination, a rash and joint pain. If you experience a cluster of these symptoms after any kind of invasive injury or procedure, it is important to be medically evaluated for the presence of bacteremia. The only certain way to get a diagnosis is to draw blood and see if bacteria grow from it. This is called a blood culture and is a specialized lab test that must be performed with sterile technique.
4. Treatment of Bacterial Blood Infections
As with any infection, bacteremia is treated with antibiotics. The type of antibiotic varies with the type of infection that is present in the bloodstream. Traditionally, doctors have classified all bacterial blood infections into two categories: hospital acquired (nosocomial) infections and community acquired infections. Bacteria that live in the hospital are generally different species from those that live in the outside world. A study in North Carolina found that infections acquired in outpatient settings are more similar to nosocomial infections than they are to infections acquired within the community.
5. The Incidence of Bacteremia is Increasing
The frequency of bacteremia has increased over the past few years due to several factors. Most people who experience these infections have been diagnosed with cancer or other complicated diseases. These conditions require extremely powerful drugs that suppress the immune system along with the infection. Infections are increasing as more of these immunosuppressed people are treated in outpatient settings that are essentially high traffic areas for bacteria.
