Sepsis is the international term used to characterize a generalized inflammatory response to a serious infection.
Sepsis is the most serious complication of infections. It can occur unpredictably during any infection, most often bacterial, but also viral such as influenza or COVID-19. It occurs following a loss of control of the body, resulting in a generalized inflammatory response leading to potentially fatal organ dysfunction.
Every year, sepsis affects nearly 50 million people worldwide, more than 40% of whom are children under 5 years old. In 2017, the World Health Organization recognized it as a public health priority and recommended that Member States put in place national measures to reduce the health, economic and social burden of sepsis.
1/ The causes of sepsis
All infections caused by bacteria and those caused by fungi can cause sepsis. Lung infections, skin infections, intestinal infections and urinary tract infections are among those most at risk of sepsis.
This complication occurs particularly in patients whose immune system is weakened or suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses. Meningococcal meningitis is one of the rare examples of sepsis that can occur in healthy young people, just like that following the use of sanitary tampons.
2/ symptoms and treatment
Fever, increased heart rate and breathing, and profuse sweating are the main symptoms. As soon as sepsis worsens, confusion or reduced alertness occurs, particularly in the elderly or very young. Blood pressure drops but, paradoxically, the skin feels warm. Later, the extremities become cold and pale, with cyanosis and peripheral mottling.
Sepsis is a medical emergency; the patient must be referred to a specialist as soon as it is suspected. intensive care unit.
3/ Treatment
It is based on antibiotics, early treatment is fundamental, every hour saved improves the chances of survival. The recent Covid pandemic has made it possible to experiment with the beneficial effects of other treatments in sepsis of viral origin (corticotherapy, anti-cytokine monoclonal antibodies).
4/ Recovery from sepsis?
Recovery is possible, it depends on the speed of recognition of the pathology and the implementation of appropriate treatment and also on the underlying terrain. However, death is observed in 1 in 3 cases and lifelong sequelae can occur.
Dr. MOUSSAYER KHADIJA Dr. Khadija Musyar, Dr. Khadija Musyar, specialist in internal medicine and geriatrics, Specialist in internal medicine and geriatrics, President of the Alliance of Rare Diseases in MoroccoPresident of the Rare Diseases Coalition Morocco, President of the Association Marocaine des Autoimmunes et Systémiques (AMMAIS), President of the Moroccan Society of Autoimmune and Systemic Diseases
TO KNOW MORE : I/ The history of pathology and the origin of the word septicemia, II/ The Missions and actions of the Alliance of Rare Diseases in Morocco, III/ Bibliography
I/ The history of the pathology and the origin of the word septicemia
The term sepsis was created in 1837 by the French doctor Pierre Piorry, from the Greek words “Σήψις” (sêptikós), putrefaction, and “αίμα” (haîma).
Before being so named, sepsis was known by different names. We have long talked about « gangrene (or rot) of hospitals. It particularly affected soldiers, following war injuries. The term of “puerperal fever” has also been used to designate a female infection following childbirth. The French doctor Armand Trousseau has been the first to hypothesize that gangrene and puerperal fever corresponded to similar pathologies.
Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis demonstrated in Vienna in 1847 the importance of hand hygiene in order to avoid contagion among women in childbirth. This contagiousness had been suspected at the end of the 18th century by the Scottish doctor Alexander Gordon. Two Alsatian doctors, Victor Feltz and Leon Coze, first demonstrated, in 1869, the presence of bacteria in the blood of a patient suffering from puerperal fever. Louis Pasteur confirmed these observations in 1879-1880 and recommended hygiene during childbirth.
II/ The Missions and actions of the Rare Disease Alliance in Morocco
The Alliance’s mission is to raise awareness and recognition of rare diseases among the public, health professionals and public authorities by providing information on their scientific, health and social issues, by all means: written press, television, radio, sites internet and social networks.
THE ALLIANCE works on a daily basis with many Moroccan associations. It has also signed “strategic” partnership agreements with 12 patient associations: 1/ Rett Syndrome Association (AMSR), 2/ Association of Solidarity with the Children of the Moon in Morocco (ASELM), 3/ Association of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), 4/ SOS Pku association, 5/ Moroccan association of hereditary angioedema patients (AMMAO), 6/ Moroccan Association for Child and Mother’s Health (AMSEM), 7/ Association SOS Marfantime (SOSM), 8/ Association Prader Willi Maroc (PWM), 9/ Flame of Hope Association for Autism and PKU Patients, 10/ Moroccan Association for Children Suffering from Osteoporosis (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) AMEOS , 11/ Moroccan Cystic Fibrosis Association (AMM), 12/ Fragile X Morocco Association (FxMa)
THE ALLIANCE OF RARE DISEASES IN MOROCCO finally organized the “Rare Disease Day”, February 24, 2024 in Casablanca. She did this in partnership with the Sanofi laboratories and the Moroccan Association of Medical Biology (AMBM). The main rare disease associations in Morocco were present during this event
III/ Bibliography
– Sepsis/Sepsis, Institut Pasteur
https://www.pasteur.fr/fr/centre-medical/fiches-maladies/sepsis-septicemie
– Sepsis, OMS
https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sepsis