Meet Erin, a registered nurse in Inpatient Behavior Health. While Erin has never had sepsis herself, her and her family’s lives have been heavily impacted by sepsis.
Prior to becoming a nurse, Erin’s father, Scott, became ill in 2013. He was 55 years old and a respiratory therapy educator in Rochester. He was an avid hunter, conservationist and all-around wonderful guy.
That February, he became sick with flu-like symptoms including headache, body ache, chills, and fatigue. Her mother, a registered nurse for more than 30 years, checked on him before going to work. While not feeling the greatest, Erin recalls that no one was alarmed at how he was doing. When her mother came home eight hours later, Scott was lying on the floor and minimally responsive. He was rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival at the ER, he became confused and combative and was put into a medically induced coma. After being diagnosed with sepsis, Scott’s 21-day fight began in the medical intensive care unit. It was full of many ups and downs. At one point, he did wake up and he was angry. As a respiratory therapist, he knew when he woke up intubated, things were very bad. He had a good day or two while he was able to communicate with Erin and her family. Scott was able to mouth to Erin “drive slow,” still watching out for her while in the hospital.
Ultimately, despite the best efforts of the medical team, Scott eventually had several strokes and went into multisystem organ failure. If he were to survive, it is likely that his quality of life would be very poor. Erin, her mother, and brother decided together to withdraw him from life support. He died surrounded by his family. As a family, they joked, laughed and told stories in his room that last day. Erin likes to think that he was listening. Scott waited until everyone left his room (except for her mom, who refused to leave his side) to pass away.
Before this experience, Erin never knew what sepsis was. In fact, many times when Erin tells people about her father, they have never heard of sepsis. One thing Erin does know is that her father Scott, who was dedicated to educating others, would be proud that his story is helping bring awareness to sepsis.
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin or gastrointestinal tract. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Is sepsis contagious?
You can’t spread sepsis to other people. However, an infection can lead to sepsis, and you can spread some infections to other people.
What causes sepsis?
Infections put you and your family at risk for sepsis. When germs get into a person’s body, they can cause an infection. If you don’t stop that infection, it can cause sepsis. Bacterial infections cause most cases of sepsis. Sepsis can also be a result of other infections, including viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza, or fungal infections.
Who is at risk?
- Adults 65+ years old
- People with weakened immune systems
- People with chronic health conditions like diabetes, lung or kidney disease, or cancer
- People with recent hospitalizations or severe illness
- People who have survived sepsis
How can you prevent sepsis?
- Prevent infections. Talk to your doctor or nurse about steps to prevent infections.
- Practice good hygiene. Remember to wash your hands and keep cuts clean and covered until healed.
- Know the symptoms. Symptoms of sepsis can include any combination of these:
- S – Shivering or fevers
- E – Extreme pain
- P – Pale, clammy skin
- S – Sleepy, disoriented, confused
- I - “I feel like I might die.”
- S – Suddenly short of breath
- Act fast. Get medical care IMMEDIATELY if you suspect sepsis or have an infection that is not getting better or is worsening.