Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. Bacteremia usually causes fever and chills but can progress to organ failure, septic coagulopathies, and death. Once in the bloodstream, bacteria can then seed to other body sites. That said, infections tend to seed in areas with preexisting injury, such as damaged heart valves, sites of prior injuries or surgeries, and prosthetics. Oral manipulation ranging from tooth brushing to dental cleanings to oral surgeries can result in the introduction of bacteria into the bloodstream.
Bacteremia medical expert witness specialties include infectious disease, pediatric infectious disease, microbiology, hospitalist medicine, pediatric hospitalist medicine, laboratory medicine, critical care medicine, oral surgery, forensic pathology, pathology, hematology, cardiology, dentistry, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.