What do nurses need to know when someone has septic shock?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 15, 2009

Sounds like homework question?

In what way do you want to know? If it is homework question what information/thoughts do you already have?

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Apr 15, 2009

Sounds like homework question?
In what way do you want to know? If it is homework question what information/thoughts do you already have?
yes what have you found so far? it will help you learn if you read it and do it yourself. keep us posted on how you are doing !!

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Apr 15, 2009

So glad you asked !

Septic shock can occur from lots of things, mainly bacterial infection. For example: One way a person may go into septic shock is from peritonitis ( when GI contents flow into the perineum cavity - which is pure...due to a rupture ). The patient may have a decrease in temp. ( instead of elevated temp.), hypotension, tachycardia, and etc. Septic shock can end in death. A nursing action is to measure the output via foley cathter, this will tell us if there is renal damage due to septic shock. I'm sure there is more to it, however that was the first thing that popped in my mind.

Ofcourse the patient may be started on antibiotics and etc.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 15, 2009

The pt MAY be started on Abx?

Lol.

Urine output is low on the list of nursing actions for septic shock. Low. And having low UO won't tell us that it's renal damage, it will indicate the fluid status. Best to go back are re-learn sepsis. If they are in true shock then it's probably zero anyway. So what do you do then?

To the OP, tell us what you think. Have you looked at the Surviving Sepsis campaign?

07302003, ASN, RN · Apr 15, 2009

Where is the sepsis coming from? UTI, central line, wound infection? Have cultures been drawn?

Good hospitals have a sepsis protocol, pan-cultures drawn, started on a broad spectrum abx asap, force fluids (except in heart failure, go slowly)

Pay close attention to VS, RR, for signs of them crashing and needing a higher level of care. Be on the lookout for any signs of respiratory compromise.

Urine output is very important, at my hospital we are looking for 240 ml/8 hours.

Look at recent labs - what do they show?

Best of luck to you - from a med-surg nurse

glasgow3 · Apr 15, 2009

Nurses need to know the interventions contained in the Sepsis Bundle. What is a "bundle"? What is the Sepsis Bundle? Look it up.

catshowlady · Apr 15, 2009

Thinking about the pathophysiology of shock - what happens to the blood vessels? Why does hypotension occur in sepsis? What are you going to do about the hypotension? What benefits would a central line have in taking care of these pts?

Changes in VS: why does the HR increase? What is compensatory tachycardia? Would you try to beta-block a septic pt for their HR even if their BP is adequate? What about their temp? What interventions would you do for a low temp? For a high temp?

What change does sepsis cause to the body's pH? Why?

Tamch · Apr 15, 2009

Yes! Its my homework! What are somethings that nurses need to know when someone has septic shock? What do you look for?

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 15, 2009

Look in your nursing textbook and review sepsis and septic shock (two totally different things) A septic SHOCK pt will be in the ICU always.

Survivingsepsis.org

Look into the sepsis bundle like a PP mentioned.

angel337, MSN, RN · Apr 15, 2009

Yes! Its my homework! What are somethings that nurses need to know when someone has septic shock? What do you look for?

all the answers are in your text. you will understand it better once you actually study the material and take notes.

sicushells, RN · Apr 15, 2009

Hmm... would your instructors be impressed if you told them that you didn't actually look up sepsis/septic shock, but instead went to clinicals and asked the nurses? no, probably not. This is no different.

a) look it up, stop asking others with *more* experience to do your homework

b) as evidenced by some of the earlier posts, asking clinicians what to do will give you a variety of responses. Different hospitals have different protocols/standards of care. Instead of asking nurses to do it for you, look up the latest research, read your textbook (which is based on research that's at least 5 years old, generally, but a good place to start nonetheless), google Surviving Sepsis, and MOST importantly...

Take responsibility for your OWN practice. If you fail your homework because someone online told you the wrong thing, or used outdated standards, you're going to fail your homework. No one else is responsible for this but you. If you're planning on being a nurse (and I assume you are) you need to learn to take responsibility for another human being's life; surely you can handle doing alittle research. Now, if you go look up all this stuff we keep telling you to look up, and you get stuck, then come back and we'll try to sort through it. But don't expect us to do this for you. :devil: