Bacteremia v Sepsis

 Short answer: Bacteremia with very high CRP can indicate sepsis, but it is not automatically sepsis.

Sepsis is diagnosed based on clinical signs of organ dysfunction, not CRP alone.

How clinicians determine sepsis

A patient with bacteremia (bacteria in the blood) is considered to have sepsis if the infection causes organ dysfunction, such as:

Signs suggesting sepsis

• Low blood pressure (SBP < 100 mmHg)
• Elevated lactate
• Altered mental status
• Fast breathing
• Low urine output
• Low oxygen levels
• Abnormal liver or kidney labs
• Cool/clammy skin, poor perfusion

The commonly used bedside criteria is qSOFA (quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment):

• RR ≥ 22
• SBP ≤ 100
• Altered mentation

If ≥2 → high likelihood of sepsis.

Role of CRP

• CRP is a marker of inflammation.
• Very high levels (e.g., >150–200 mg/L) suggest significant infection, but:
  
• CRP does not confirm or rule out sepsis.
• It does not measure organ dysfunction.
• 
  

Bacteremia

Bacteremia alone is serious and often treated as a medical emergency, but:

• Bacteremia + high CRP = strong evidence of systemic infection
• Bacteremia + organ dysfunction = sepsis

If this is about a real patient

Sepsis is time-critical. If you suspect it, urgent medical evaluation is essential.

If you want, you can tell me:

• Vital signs
• Lactate
• Lab abnormalities
• Symptoms (confusion, shortness of breath, urine output, etc.)

…and I can help interpret whether it fits sepsis criteria.