Which term refers to a dangerous infection of the blood?

Which term refers to a dangerous infection of the blood?

• A. tachycardia
• B. tachypnea
• C. thrombocytopenia
• D. dangerous infection of the blood

Answer: (C)

A dangerous infection in the bloodstream is described clinically as sepsis (also called septicemia). Sepsis means the infection has spread to the blood and typically triggers a systemic inflammatory response that can affect multiple organs. Tachycardia (fast heart rate) and tachypnea (fast breathing) are common signs you might see in a patient with sepsis, but they describe the body’s response rather than the infection itself. Thrombocytopenia (low platelets) is a possible consequence or associated finding in severe infection, but it is a blood abnormality, not the term for an infection of the blood. So the best concept here is sepsis/septicemia, the medical term for a dangerous bloodstream infection.

A dangerous infection in the bloodstream is described clinically as sepsis (also called septicemia). Sepsis means the infection has spread to the blood and typically triggers a systemic inflammatory response that can affect multiple organs. Tachycardia (fast heart rate) and tachypnea (fast breathing) are common signs you might see in a patient with sepsis, but they describe the body’s response rather than the infection itself. Thrombocytopenia (low platelets) is a possible consequence or associated finding in severe infection, but it is a blood abnormality, not the term for an infection of the blood. So the best concept here is sepsis/septicemia, the medical term for a dangerous bloodstream infection.