Sepsis Watch

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) One of the problems associated with sepsis involves blood clotting in the blood vessels, blocking blood flow to your body’s organs and tissues.  Ordinarily, blood circulates through your blood system, bringing oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. When you are injured, certain proteins travel to that part of the body to help the blood to clot – this is part of how your body protects itself.

   When someone has sepsis, these proteins become overactive and cause small blood clots in the blood vessels, which can block the flow to the body’s organs (like the kidneys) or the limbs (arms, legs, fingers, and toes). If not enough blood can flow through, neither can the oxygen and nutrients the body’s tissues need to keep working properly.

 

You can find the 2 minute animation of the top left graphic at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNSwGUqaVgs