Sepsis and septic shock
NCLEX-RN glossary · Physiological Adaptation
Definition
A life-threatening systemic infection leading to organ dysfunction and profound circulatory collapse. It marks the point at which local infection becomes a multisystem survival threat.
Sepsis and septic shock in plain English
It requires immediate recognition and aggressive fluid/antibiotic therapy to prevent death from multisystem failure. A common mistake is delaying the recognition of sepsis until the client is hypotensive, failing to act on earlier cues of systemic inflammation.
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