Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOverviewCausesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionA Word From Verywell
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Overview
Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
A Word From Verywell
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with septicembolism, you likely have many questions about your condition, including how and why you got it, what to expect, and whether there is any treatment for it.
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Septic embolism is a type of infection inside a blood vessel. This term specifically refers to an infection that started in one part of the body and traveled through blood vessels to reach another part of the body, possibly blocking one or more blood vessels.
Typically, septic embolism is a bacterial infection that originates in the heart valves. This may be associated withinfective endocarditis, an infection of the heart. An infection in the heart can result in a small blood clot, which may travel to other parts of the body.
When a bacterial infection or an infected blood clot travels from the heart to the brain, it can block a blood vessel in the brain, causing astroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebral hemorrhage, meningitis, brain abscess, or a mycotic aneurysm.
Strokes resulting from a septic embolism are classified as septic strokes, which means infected strokes.
There are a number of conditions and infections that can cause septic embolism, including:
There are also some lifestyle factors known to contribute to the risk of septic embolism. Intravenous (IV) drug use, in particular, increases the risk of a harmful infection that can cause endocarditis or septic embolism. Typically, when IV drug use is the cause of septic embolism, it begins when bacteria on the skin enter the body and cause an infection. The infection may develop slowly or could progress rapidly.
Infective endocarditis may cause destruction of the valves located in the heart, potentially resulting in complications such as congestive heart failure and recurrent septic embolism.
There are a number of symptoms of septic embolism, but they tend to be non-specific symptoms along the lines of “feeling lousy.” This is one of the reasons it takes a while to reach a diagnosis. If you persistently experience the symptoms of septic embolism, your healthcare provider will do a detailed medical checkup to search for the cause of your symptoms.
Neurological symptoms include:
Non-neurological symptoms include:
Septic embolism can be difficult to diagnose. Most people with septic embolism have a positive blood culture, meaning bacteria are detected in the blood. A positive blood culture helps direct your treatment if you have septic embolism,because your healthcare provider can identify which bacteria are present, and thus which antibiotic is expected to be most effective. A positive blood culture does not define the location or the cause of the infection.
Other diagnostic tests are used to further evaluate septic embolism to locate the area of infection and determine the extent of the infection.
Diagnostic TestsTests for septic embolism include:Complete blood count (CBC)Angiogram (an image of the blood vessels)Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)Transesophageal echocardiogramElectrocardiogramChest X-raySpinal tapBlood cultures
Diagnostic Tests
Tests for septic embolism include:Complete blood count (CBC)Angiogram (an image of the blood vessels)Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)Transesophageal echocardiogramElectrocardiogramChest X-raySpinal tapBlood cultures
Tests for septic embolism include:
Septic embolism cannot always be prevented, but sometimes it can. Some of the preventive measures that can protect against septic embolism include:
If you have been diagnosed with an unusual condition such as septic embolism, you might not know where to turn. Use these tips to get the most out of your healthcare provider visits so that you can become an empowered patient as you recover.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stawicki SP, Firstenberg MS, Lyaker MR, et al.Septic embolism in the intensive care unit.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):58-63. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109423Goswami U, Brenes JA, Punjabi GV, Leclaire MM, Williams DN.Associations and outcomes of septic pulmonary embolism.Open Respir Med J. 2014;8:28-33. doi:10.2174/1874306401408010028Monroe EJ, Tailor TD, McNeeley MF, Lehnert BE.Needle embolism in intravenous drug abuse.Radiol Case Rep. 2012;7(3):714. doi:10.2484/rcr.v7i3.714Grecu N, Tiu C, Terecoasa E, Bajenaru O.Endocarditis and stroke.Maedica (Buchar). 2014;9(4):375-81.Chou DW, Wu SL, Chung KM, Han SC, Cheung BM.Septic pulmonary embolism requiring critical care: Clinicoradiological spectrum, causative pathogens and outcomes.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016;71(10):562-569. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(10)02Owji S, Choi WJ, Al-Jabbari E, Manral K, Palacio D, Bhargava P.Computed tomography findings in septic pulmonary embolism: A case report and literature review.Radiol Case Rep. 2022;17(8):2639-2642. doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2022.05.012Dieckmann R, Boone I, Brockmann SO, et al.The risk of bacterial infection after tattooing.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113(40):665-671. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0665Additional ReadingZakhari N, Castillo M, Torres C.Unusual cerebral emboli.Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2016;26(1):147-163. doi:10.1016/j.nic.2015.09.013
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stawicki SP, Firstenberg MS, Lyaker MR, et al.Septic embolism in the intensive care unit.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):58-63. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109423Goswami U, Brenes JA, Punjabi GV, Leclaire MM, Williams DN.Associations and outcomes of septic pulmonary embolism.Open Respir Med J. 2014;8:28-33. doi:10.2174/1874306401408010028Monroe EJ, Tailor TD, McNeeley MF, Lehnert BE.Needle embolism in intravenous drug abuse.Radiol Case Rep. 2012;7(3):714. doi:10.2484/rcr.v7i3.714Grecu N, Tiu C, Terecoasa E, Bajenaru O.Endocarditis and stroke.Maedica (Buchar). 2014;9(4):375-81.Chou DW, Wu SL, Chung KM, Han SC, Cheung BM.Septic pulmonary embolism requiring critical care: Clinicoradiological spectrum, causative pathogens and outcomes.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016;71(10):562-569. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(10)02Owji S, Choi WJ, Al-Jabbari E, Manral K, Palacio D, Bhargava P.Computed tomography findings in septic pulmonary embolism: A case report and literature review.Radiol Case Rep. 2022;17(8):2639-2642. doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2022.05.012Dieckmann R, Boone I, Brockmann SO, et al.The risk of bacterial infection after tattooing.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113(40):665-671. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0665Additional ReadingZakhari N, Castillo M, Torres C.Unusual cerebral emboli.Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2016;26(1):147-163. doi:10.1016/j.nic.2015.09.013
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Stawicki SP, Firstenberg MS, Lyaker MR, et al.Septic embolism in the intensive care unit.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):58-63. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109423Goswami U, Brenes JA, Punjabi GV, Leclaire MM, Williams DN.Associations and outcomes of septic pulmonary embolism.Open Respir Med J. 2014;8:28-33. doi:10.2174/1874306401408010028Monroe EJ, Tailor TD, McNeeley MF, Lehnert BE.Needle embolism in intravenous drug abuse.Radiol Case Rep. 2012;7(3):714. doi:10.2484/rcr.v7i3.714Grecu N, Tiu C, Terecoasa E, Bajenaru O.Endocarditis and stroke.Maedica (Buchar). 2014;9(4):375-81.Chou DW, Wu SL, Chung KM, Han SC, Cheung BM.Septic pulmonary embolism requiring critical care: Clinicoradiological spectrum, causative pathogens and outcomes.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016;71(10):562-569. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(10)02Owji S, Choi WJ, Al-Jabbari E, Manral K, Palacio D, Bhargava P.Computed tomography findings in septic pulmonary embolism: A case report and literature review.Radiol Case Rep. 2022;17(8):2639-2642. doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2022.05.012Dieckmann R, Boone I, Brockmann SO, et al.The risk of bacterial infection after tattooing.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113(40):665-671. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0665
Stawicki SP, Firstenberg MS, Lyaker MR, et al.Septic embolism in the intensive care unit.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):58-63. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109423
Goswami U, Brenes JA, Punjabi GV, Leclaire MM, Williams DN.Associations and outcomes of septic pulmonary embolism.Open Respir Med J. 2014;8:28-33. doi:10.2174/1874306401408010028
Monroe EJ, Tailor TD, McNeeley MF, Lehnert BE.Needle embolism in intravenous drug abuse.Radiol Case Rep. 2012;7(3):714. doi:10.2484/rcr.v7i3.714
Grecu N, Tiu C, Terecoasa E, Bajenaru O.Endocarditis and stroke.Maedica (Buchar). 2014;9(4):375-81.
Chou DW, Wu SL, Chung KM, Han SC, Cheung BM.Septic pulmonary embolism requiring critical care: Clinicoradiological spectrum, causative pathogens and outcomes.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016;71(10):562-569. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(10)02
Owji S, Choi WJ, Al-Jabbari E, Manral K, Palacio D, Bhargava P.Computed tomography findings in septic pulmonary embolism: A case report and literature review.Radiol Case Rep. 2022;17(8):2639-2642. doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2022.05.012
Dieckmann R, Boone I, Brockmann SO, et al.The risk of bacterial infection after tattooing.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016;113(40):665-671. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0665
Zakhari N, Castillo M, Torres C.Unusual cerebral emboli.Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2016;26(1):147-163. doi:10.1016/j.nic.2015.09.013
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