Odontogenic sepsis is a type of blood poisoning that occurs due to all kinds of pathogenic microorganisms entering the blood vessels, including fungi, bacteria, viruses. When this disease occurs, not individual, but almost all vital organs of a person are affected.
This is where its main danger lies. As a result, the general well-being of the patient, his condition, as well as the quality of life significantly worsen. As a result of infection with this disease, infections in the bloodstream begin to systematically destroy the integrity of soft tissues in all organs, leading to numerous minor bleeding.
Provoking factors
Odontogenic sepsis can provoke many factors. First of all, it is necessary to name streptococci, dental caries, Klebsiella, staphylococcus, E. coli,salmonella.
Features of the disease
Odontogenic sepsis is a serious pathological process in the human body that occurs after tooth extraction. In some cases, the disease develops as a result of the introduction of dangerous and unfavorable agents into an open wound.
There is a danger of introducing infectious microorganisms during surgery into the oral cavity. In this case, insufficiently sterile instruments, as well as negligent attitude to the hygiene rules that must be followed after the operation is completed, surrounding caries on the teeth can become the cause of infection.
Classification
There are several stages of development in odontogenic sepsis. In this article, we will try to analyze each of them in sufficient detail.
- An attack of purulent-resorptive fever. This form is characterized by the onset of dangerous processes that ultimately lead to the destruction of tissues, as well as the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms into the human body. At this stage, the patient has bouts of fever, the body temperature rises significantly.
- Blood poisoning. It is believed that this is the primary stage of the onset of the disease. It is also accompanied by a feverish condition, even though the causative agent of the disease is subjected to medical treatment by doctors and, possibly, also to drainage.
- Septecemia stage. And for this period of the disease are characteristicbouts of fever. However, the essence of the processes occurring in the body is different. Infections that initially became foci of the development of the disease begin to gradually be removed from the blood. As a result of the negative processes of decay, which are so dangerous in odontogenic sepsis, there is no evidence.
- Finally, the last stage is the stage of septicopyemia. This is a form of development in which a feverish state is observed for a sufficiently long time. At the same time, metastatic foci of suppuration appear in the human body, in which the process of sowing unfavorable pathogens-microorganisms begins.
At the same time, experts also qualify several forms of progressive sepsis that develop after a patient visits the dentist.
- In an acute form, the disease begins to progress at lightning speed. In fact, within a few days, the patient develops attacks of fever, which are accompanied by a significant increase in the general body temperature. It is worth noting that in most cases, a large number of small bubble formations appear on the skin, inside of which there is pus. Even in the case when rashes do not appear, this is still reflected on the human skin, as it acquires an unnatural shade. At the same time, the patient's consciousness becomes clouded, after a few days the person begins to simply faint regularly. If at this stage timely qualified medical care is not provided to him, in 85% of cases everything will end in the death of the patient.
- In a subacute form, the symptoms are outwardlyresembles the course of the disease in the acute stage of the disease, but there are certain differences. A few days after the onset of infection of the bloodstream with an infection, the patient's condition, as a rule, improves significantly. The patient is conscious, the body temperature stabilizes, remaining within the standard values. Moreover, in 90% of cases this condition is accompanied by purulent rashes on the skin. With subacute progression of the disease, death occurs in approximately 40% of cases.
- In the chronic form of odontogenic sepsis, the clinic is characterized by remissions, which are replaced by exacerbations of the patient's condition. In most cases, this form of the disease occurs with meningitis, inflammatory processes in the lungs of a person, and backenocarditis. In such a situation, the patient must necessarily be registered with a he althcare institution, since it will take a long time to completely cure the infection of odontogenic sepsis - from several months to two years. With this form of the disease, deaths in medical practice are much less common. According to medical statistics, they are possible only in 10 - 30% of cases with a confirmed diagnosis.
Difficulties in diagnosing
Most often you have to deal with odontogenic sepsis in dentistry. Blood poisoning, which usually occurs after tooth extraction, has certain features that complicate the entire process of diagnosing the disease. This often prevents the initiation of timely therapy.
This situation with odontogenic sepsis of the teeth can be observed in several cases. As a result of the entry of any bacteria and fungi into the human body, the symptoms of any type of sepsis appear to be identical. As a result, it becomes almost impossible at the initial stage to establish which pathogenic agent contributed to the development of the disease. This requires a detailed examination of the affected patient.
In some cases, the immune system is not ready to stop a progressive disease on its own. And then it makes no difference how well and properly it works by itself. It is for this reason that therapeutic measures necessarily require a qualified and reasonable approach, as a result, they can take a very long time.
Besides, once a patient has had a septic illness, his immune system actually gives up resistance in the future, it is no longer able to cope with such pathological changes.
Symptoms
Symptoms of odontogenic sepsis should be well known to every person, so that at the first manifestations of these signs, he could immediately suspect the presence of this disease on his own. In this case, a timely appeal to a doctor for qualified help can save not only he alth, but also a person’s life.
Here are the most common symptoms of odontogenic sepsis:
- constant feeling of fatigue and lethargy in everythingbody;
- increased sleepiness;
- an uncharacteristic for your body decrease in blood pressure, for which there are no objective explanations;
- sudden changes in body temperature (from excessively high to low and vice versa);
- appearance of severe headaches;
- the occurrence of acute pain and discomfort in the area of the affected tooth;
- loss of appetite;
- foggy mind;
- excessive sweating - sweat becomes sticky and cold, most often this symptom occurs before bedtime;
- appearance of bouts of high fever;
- fainting, loss of consciousness;
- appearance of rashes on the skin, which contain pus;
- human soft tissues take on an unhe althy and unnatural hue.
If you, your loved one or relative has at least one of the listed symptoms, this is a reason to seriously worry about your he alth. You should immediately go to the nearest medical institution, where qualified specialists will carry out all the necessary diagnostic measures. They will be able to provide first aid, advise on how to carry out further therapy.
Diagnosis
Clinic, diagnosis, treatment of odontogenic sepsis have a common picture. We will detail it in this article. It is important to understand how the doctor will be able to determine what kind of ailment struck your body, how the diagnosis is carried out.
First of all, the doctor conducts a surveypatient. Having collected an anamnesis, he will be able to significantly reduce the list of possible diseases that could lead to such a condition. After the interview, a thorough examination of the patient should be carried out. If he really has odontogenic blood sepsis, most likely the doctor will be able to detect pathological rashes on the mucous membranes and skin, which are characteristic of the progression of this disease.
At the next stage, the patient is referred for specialized tests. First of all, discharge in the affected area and blood. Only after all diagnostic studies are completed, the doctor carefully examines their results, determining which disease is really present in the patient. On this basis, he is assigned high-quality and effective therapy. The method of treatment will also depend on the severity of the disease, the general he alth of the patient.
The choice of therapeutic measures should be carried out on the basis of all the individual characteristics of the human body, without fail they are carried out in hospital under round-the-clock supervision and control of professional physicians. Only under this condition will it be possible to effectively protect the patient from the fatal development of this infection.
Treatments
At the stage of treatment, doctors have to solve several priority tasks. Stop pathogenic microorganisms, eliminate intoxication of the human body itself, restore the normal functioning of the entire immune system, eliminate symptomsdiseases that can significantly impair the quality of life, as well as normalize the proper functioning of all systems and affected organs.
It is worth emphasizing that the treatment of odontogenic sepsis should be started as early as possible. In the later stages of the development of the disease can not do without surgery. Especially in advanced cases, the risk of death increases significantly.
First of all, the victim is hospitalized. He must be placed in an antiseptic specialized ward, where he will be provided with complete rest. This is one of the conditions that contribute to a speedy recovery. He is also on a strict diet. At the time of treatment, the patient is prescribed a large amount of antibacterial drugs, which should contribute to the effective removal of a deadly infection from the body. If the patient's condition is particularly severe, the doctor may prescribe corticosteroids.
It is worth noting that, in accordance with clinical recommendations for odontogenic sepsis, after taking a course of strong pharmacological drugs, the patient undergoes a blood transfusion, and glucose and gamma globulins are also introduced into it.
This disease has a significant negative impact on the human immune system, its functioning and normal performance. Therefore, qualified doctors also prescribe immunostimulating drugs to the patient, which will help her recover, again fully perform her functions.
When the blood poisoning resulting fromdental event, accompanied by the development of dysbacteriosis, as well as other similar adverse symptoms, the doctor should prescribe medications, determining them based on the specific symptoms of the patient.
Extreme Case
Treatment of odontogenic sepsis in severe stages of the disease, when conservative therapy does not bring any results, is carried out with the help of surgical intervention and nothing else.
During the operation, specialists open abscesses that have formed in the body, drain infected venous arteries, for example, in the case of thrombophlebitis. In some cases, it becomes necessary to amputate the lower or upper limbs, in which irreversible inflammatory processes have occurred. Everything is done to save the patient's life.
It is worth noting that all procedures that are carried out at the stage of surgical intervention entirely depend on the stage of development of the disease, the degree of infection of the body, and the prolonged active progression of the disease. To prevent this, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner when the first signs of this deadly disease appear.
Complications
Another danger of this disease lies in all sorts of complications that can develop in a patient when he does not seek medical help in time, ignores his state of he alth. One of the common complications of odontogenic sepsis is associated with acute inflammatorydiseases of the neck and face. All this increases the length of the patient's stay in hospital, and the time of his disability increases.
Recently, the problem of purulent infections affecting the craniofacial area has really become urgent. Now odontogenic diseases are one of the most common types of pathology. The severity of the course of the process has significantly worsened, which often leads to thrombosis of the cavernous sinus, thrombophlebitis of the facial veins, sepsis, and meningitis. With odontogenic sepsis of the face and neck, the patient needs immediate medical attention, as the likelihood of a fatal outcome increases many times.
Toxic-infectious shock is a severe complication of this infection. The trigger element for it is the repeated or simultaneous flooding of the bloodstream with toxins and microorganisms. During septic shock, the functions of the central nervous system, central and peripheral circulation, pulmonary gas exchange are disrupted, and fatal organic damage occurs. It should be noted that odontogenic sepsis of the face and neck poses a great danger to the patient, the mortality rate from septic shock is currently quite high, it exceeds 50%.
Mediastinitis
Purulent mediastinitis is another dangerous complication that can occur with an inflammatory infection of the maxillofacial region. As a rule, it can develop in patients with phlegmon at the root of the tongue, in the peripharyngeal space, on the oral cavity, in the posterior and submandibular regions.
Sufficientthe reason to suspect mediastinitis in a patient is the deterioration of the general condition of the patient, the appearance of signs of an inflammatory process in the neck area, clinical symptoms that are characteristic of the purulent-inflammatory process of this localization.
Characteristic symptoms: the occurrence of an inflammatory infiltrate in the lower neck, in the jugular cavity, in the supraclavicular region. At rest, pronounced shortness of breath occurs, severe pains appear in the depth of the chest or directly behind the sternum.
The only effective treatment is mediastinotomy. This is an opening of a purulent focus. In most cases, the operation is performed by making an incision at the anterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. In this case, furatsilin is used for odontogenic sepsis. With its help, after opening, the wound is washed and then drained.
