Is emergency surgery done when there is sepsis?

[scilearner]

Let's say there is a bowel perforation and this results in sepsis, I know surgery would have to be done or else the person would die. But my question is , is the person first given aggresive IV antibiotics first and when infection is controlled only surgery done, or in emergency situations like this it is done asquickly as possible as there is no time to wait. Why I ask is wouldn't general anaesthesia be hazardous in a sepsis patient. Also can't the surgery further disseminate the infection if it not resolved first. Do they just take the risk because there is no choice?

[Bells]

Sepsis is a whole body response to a severe infection, and this will usually affect all the organs in the body (especially if diagnosed sooner, rather than later).

 

A perforated bowel is a surgical emergency, so that would take precedence and the patient would be pumped full of antibiotics immediately prior to, during and after surgery. Sepsis is a dangerous infection that does kill and so, doctors would want to immediately treat the cause of the sepsis, in this case a perforated bowel, and then the patient would be in the intensive care unit while they would try to battle the infection. General anaesthesia is always hazardous and in a patient who has developed sepsis because of a perforated bowel, even more so. Because sepsis is a whole body infection that has attacked pretty much most, if not all the major organs in the body, it (the surgery) cannot spread it or disseminate it.

 

But with a perforated bowel, surgery will be the first option because it is a matter of no choice as it will kill the patient if not treated immediately, and because it will be in the cause of sepsis in this particular example.

[scilearner]

Thanks Bells nicely answered

Edited November 7, 2015 by scilearner

[Xalatan]

Agree - I'm not qualified as a surgeon to give an opinion, and this is not medical advice, but peritonitis from bowel perf will not be controlled by IV antibiotics alone. Surgical intervention may needed to clear up the situation. The person may be damn sick, that's a problem for the anaesthetist and a discussion about the pink form may be warranted, but emergency surgery may be the optimal treatment.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Xalatan