QUESTION: What do Pope John Paul II, Muppets Founder Jim Henson, and Actor Christopher Reeve all have in common?
ANSWER: They all succumbed to the very deadly Sepsis, which developed from a major infection in their bodies.
What is Sepsis or non-medically referred to as Blood Poisoning?
It is a potentially life-threatening complication of an existing serious infection such as pneumonia (Jim Henson), urinary tract infection (Pope John Paul II), and an infected bed sore (Christopher Reeve).
According to Mayo Clinic.com, “Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the blood stream to fight the infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body. This inflammation can trigger a cascade of changes that can damage multiple organ systems, causing them to fail.”
The Scripps Research Institute informs us that common bacteria entry sites include the genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts, liver and bile ducts, and lungs.
Mayo Clinic explains the three stage syndrome of Sepsis. The first or Mild Stage of Sepsis includes at least two of the following symptoms: A person’s body temperature above 101 degrees F. or below 96.8 degrees F. with a probable or confirmed infection, a heart rate higher than 90 beats per minute, and a respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths per minute. The second stage is known as Severe Sepsis where the patient will exhibit at least one of these following symptoms indicative of an organ failure: An immediate change in mental ability, difficulty in breathing, abdominal pain, significantly decreased urine output, decrease in blood platelet count (the clotting agent of the blood), and abnormal heart pumping function. Complications arise as Sepsis worsens and causes difficulty with blood flow to organs such as the heart, kidneys, and brain. Varying amounts of organ failure and tissue failure (gangrene) can occur as blood clots form in arms, legs, fingers, and toes. The third and often deadly Septic Shock Stage includes the serious signs of Severe Sepsis present along with extremely low blood pressure that doesn’t respond to simple fluid replacement. The Scripps Institute refers to this low blood pressure as the “Shock.”
With our growing aging population and drug-resistant bacteria, along with many seniors having weakened immune systems and other major illnesses, the incidence of Sepsis is increasing in our country today. Risk factors for Sepsis also include those who are very sick in intensive care units, or who have wounds such as burns, or who have invasive devices such as breathing tubes or intravenous catheters. It is critical that a person get medical aid if he/she develops a serious infection, especially after surgery or hospitalization. Also if already having an infection and any of the above paragraph’s symptoms occur, please seek medical help immediately.
“One-third of people who develop Sepsis die of it,” according to sepsisalliance.org. The good news is that most people do recover from Mild Sepsis, but 50 percent of those with Septic Shock find it to be deadly. Future infections must be watched for in those having suffered Severe cases of Sepsis.
One Sun City resident from Neighborhood 20 developed a Severe case of Sepsis, first diagnosed on Mother’s Day Weekend of 2013. Her story will be told in Part 2: Sun City Resident Beats the Odds, Disease’s Diagnosis, Treatment, and Research (September 25th Edition).
