How to Treat Septicaemic Plague

Speticaemic Plague is caused by the virus yersinia pestis, which is also responsible for the bubonic plague and the pneumonic plague. This manifestation occurs when the microorganism enters directly into the bloodstream and does not show the buboes characteristic of bubonic plague. It can also appear in the bloodstream after other types of plague are present.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Seek help immediately if you suspect you may have contracted septicaemic plague. If not treated, the mortality rate is about 50 percent. If diagnosed and treated quickly, the mortality rate decreases to approximately 1 percent. If there is an epidemic, you have heard of other cases in the area or have been in contact with someone who has the plague, you must be tested so that treatment can begin immediately.
2. Begin treatment with antibiotics. Doctors have tried a variety of antibiotics and have found that streptomycin and tetracycline are the most effective in fighting septicaemic plague. Make sure you take the correct dosage for the recommended time period because this disease can be deadly.
3. Provide easily digested foods and plenty of liquids if the patient is able to ingest them orally; otherwise an IV must be used. This is very important, as the patient's immune system can be dangerously compromised without the proper nutritional care.
4. Prescribe sedatives to ease the patient's pain. People with septicaemic plague are often delirious, which can make treatment difficult; the sedatives quiet the patient and lessen the effects of delirium. It is important to keep the patient quiet and well rested.
5. Administer respiratory support to the patient if he has difficulty breathing. Septicaemic plague can easily spread from the blood to the lungs, causing the patient difficulty in breathing on his own. A doctor must administer palliative care to the patient to avoid complications, which may lead to death.