septiska

Septiska is an adjective used in Swedish to describe relations to sepsis or infections caused by bacteria that can lead to sepsis. The term is derived from the Latin septicus and is commonly found in medical contexts to distinguish septic conditions from other infectious processes.

In clinical use, septiska infektioner refer to infections with the potential to progress to sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from the body's dysregulated response to infection. The related adjectives septisk and septiska are used to describe the infectious process and its systemic impact. The noun associated with the concept is sepsis.

Causes and risk factors include a range of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterobacterales, as well as less common fungal pathogens. Risk factors for developing septic infections include advanced age, chronic diseases (like diabetes or kidney disease), immunosuppression, open wounds, invasive devices, and delayed or inadequate treatment.

Clinical presentation often features fever or hypothermia, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, confusion or altered mental status, and signs of organ dysfunction such as low blood pressure. Diagnosis relies on clinical assessment supplemented by laboratory tests (blood cultures, inflammatory markers such as CRP and procalcitonin, lactate) and imaging to identify the infection source.

Treatment emphasizes early broad-spectrum antibiotics after obtaining cultures, prompt source control, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors in cases of septic shock. Prognosis varies with severity and timeliness of treatment; early recognition and management improve outcomes. The term septiska is primarily used in Swedish-language medical literature to describe sepsis-related infectious processes.