CHAPTER ONE
1.0             INTRODUCTION
1.1Background of the Study
Blood infection is a condition where the blood stream of a human is been infected by pathogenic microorganisms that releases their toxins into the blood stream causing life-threatening and other serious complications. The presence of viable bacteria organisms in the blood is called bacteremia. This is a leading cause of death in most countries especially in rural areas and under developed countries like Nigeria and other African countries (Burton, 1992).
The effects of these organisms causes many complicated illness in people with compromised body immune system and also in people who have undergone surgical operations that may subject them to loss of blood. Bacteria blood infection (bacteremia) is a major cause of death in people living with HIV/Aids and also in anaemic patients (Memmler et al, 1992).
These viable bacteria organisms invade into the blood stream through the simple skin cut or wounds, surgical operation and through the body portal of entry like the anus, nose, mouth and genital tracts. It is noted that un-sterilized syringe and surgical equipments used on patients by health care providers are among the major source of pathogenic organisms the blood stream. These organisms causes urinary tract infection and stomach up-set when they accumulate into these body parts and later found their way into the blood stream through the blood capillaries that supplies blood to these part of the body (Ojukwu, 2002).
Bacteremia may cause no symptoms and resolve without treatment especially in people with strong body immunity.It can also produce fever and other symptoms of infection when they conquer the body immune system in people with suppressed body immune system. In some cases, this blood infection leads to septic shock, a potential life-threatening condition (Ako-Naiet al, 2000).
There are many types of blood infection but the most common type is called sepsis or setpticamia. When referring to the blood infections, the term sepsis and septicaemia are often interchangeable used but the two words are slightly different in their meanings. The term sepsis is a condition where the entire body is involve in a toxic condition of pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins spread from one site of the body to another. While septicaemia is a condition where there are active pathogens present in the blood stream itself. When the pathogens involved in the blood stream are only bacteria, then the condition is known as bacteremia (Azubike and Nwanginieneme, 2002).
Talking of blood infection; sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by overwhelming immune response to infections. Chemicals released into the blood to fight infections triggers widespread of inflammation which may result in organ damage. Blood clotting during sepsis reduces blood flow in the limbs and internal organs, depriving them from nutrients and oxygen. In severe cases, one or more organ may fail or may lead fast drop in blood pressure called septic shock which can lead to failure to several organs such as brain, kidney, liver and lungs causing sudden death (Jawetz, 1989).