Bacteremia, sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock are related:
Bacteremia: Bacteria are present in the bloodstream. Bacteremia Bacteremia Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. Bacteremia may result from ordinary activities (such as vigorous toothbrushing), dental or medical procedures, or from infections ... read more can result from a serious infection or from something as harmless as vigorous toothbrushing. Most often, only a small number of bacteria are present, and they are removed by the body on its own. In such cases, most people have no symptoms. However, occasionally, bacteremia leads to infections, sepsis, or both.
Sepsis: Bacteremia or another infection triggers a serious bodywide response (sepsis Sepsis and Septic Shock Sepsis is a serious bodywide response to bacteremia or another infection plus malfunction or failure of an essential system in the body. Septic shock is life-threatening low blood pressure ... read more ), which typically includes fever, weakness, a rapid heart rate, a rapid breathing rate, and an increased number of white blood cells. The response also affects many internal organs, such as the kidneys, heart, and lungs, which begin to fail.
Septic shock: Sepsis that causes dangerously low blood pressure (shock Shock Shock is a life-threatening condition in which blood flow to the organs is low, decreasing delivery of oxygen and thus causing organ damage and sometimes death. Blood pressure is usually low... read more ) is called septic shock Sepsis and Septic Shock Sepsis is a serious bodywide response to bacteremia or another infection plus malfunction or failure of an essential system in the body. Septic shock is life-threatening low blood pressure ... read more . As a result, internal organs typically receive too little blood, causing them to malfunction. Septic shock is life threatening.