Please Pray for My Father

I have learned that my father is in serious condition at Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle. My father has gone what is called "Septic Shock." This is a serious condition which can shut down your organs. My dad has had over 15 major surgeries in his lifetime due to the affects of having both kinds of arthritis. One being degenerative bone loss and the other being one that causes pain in the joints. He is only 54 years old. About 3 months ago, he was going in for his third hip replacement when they found probable cause of a virus in his body. At that point they started him on anti virus medication to mitigate the risk of surgery while having an infection.

After this, through various tests, they found that the virus was located in his elbow and then started him on more meds. To make a long story short, the past few weeks they put him on a new medication to help with the anti-virus meds and he was becoming very sick from the meds. Yesterday, he started to become light-headed and passing out from time to time. He was admitted last night to ICU and this morning we have found out that he has a serious condition called "sepsis" and the body is now what they call "septic."

When I was about 9 years old this happened to him and the doctors were quite confused how he lived through it. This is, again, very worrisome for our family, but we depend on Christ for his provision and healing power. Please be praying for my family and for my father. Be also praying that Christ's glory would be seen through this and that those surrounding the situation would see the face of Christ in my family. We know that my father is in His hands and the devil can screw off, because he has no power in this situation. I have copied and pasted from wikipedia what it means when the body goes septic. If you have any questions, you can email me at smcbee at mcbeeadvisors dot com.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
James 5:16

“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
“I, even I, am the Lord,
And there is no savior besides Me.
“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.
“Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 43:10-13

Septic shock is a serious medical condition caused by decreased tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery as a result of infection and sepsis, though the microbe may be systemic or localized to a particular site[1]. It can cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (formerly known as multiple organ failure) and death. Its most common victims are children, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly, as their immune systems cannot deal with the infection as effectively as those of healthy adults. The mortality rate from septic shock is approximately 50%.

Types

A subclass of distributive shock, shock refers specifically to decreased tissue perfusion resulting in end-organ dysfunction. Cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 released in a large scale inflammatory response results in massive vasodilation, increased capillary permeability, decreased systemic vascular resistance, and hypotension. Hypotension reduces tissue perfusion pressure and thus tissue hypoxia ensues[1]. Finally, in an attempt to offset decreased blood pressure, ventricular dilatation and myocardial dysfunction will occur[1].

Causes

The process of infection by bacteria or fungi can result in systemic signs and symptoms that are variously described. Approximately 70% of septic shock cases are due to gram-negative bacilli that produce endotoxins[1]. In rough order of increasing severity, these are bacteremia or fungemia; septicemia; sepsis, severe sepsis or sepsis syndrome; septic shock; refractory septic shock; multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and death.

The condition develops as a response to certain microbial molecules which trigger the production and release of cellular mediators, such as tumor necrosis factors (TNF); these act to stimulate immune response. Besides TNFα, other cytokines involved in the development of septic shock include interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8.


Treatment

Treatment primarily consists of the following.

Volume resuscitation.
Early antibiotic administration.
Rapid source identification and control.
Support of major organ dysfunction.
Among the choices for pressors, a randomized controlled trial concluded that there was no difference between norepinephrine (plus dobutamine as needed for cardiac output) versus epinephrine.

However dopamine has more beta adrenergic activity and therefore is more likely to cause arrhythmia or myocardial infarction.

Antimediator agents may be of some limited use in severe clinical situations:

Low dose steroids (hydrocortisone) for 5 - 7 days lead to improved outcomes.
Recombinant activated protein C (drotrecogin alpha) has been shown in large randomized clinical trials to be associated with reduced mortality (Number needed to treat (NNT) of 16) in patients with multi-organ failure. If this is given, heparin should probably be continued.