A Complicated Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Septic Shock

Sepsis is significantly associated with increased mortality among hospitalized patients. Patients can deteriorate rapidly, leading to septic shock (i.e., tissue hypoperfusion and organ dysfunction despite fluid resuscitation that can ultimately require a vasopressor). Patients immunocompromised from medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis with multiple joint arthroplasties are at a major risk of increased infections. Equally, medications that impair the immune system's normal function make this clinical case challenging. As noted in this case of a patient with a complex medical history and nontypical sepsis presentation, early intervention and a multidisciplinary approach to patient care is vital to patient improvement and survival during septic shock.