In May 2020, 19-year-old Kati Marshall was living in Madison and 31 weeks pregnant with her first child. After noticing swelling in her ankles, she was admitted to the hospital for severe preeclampsia. Two weeks later, Kati was induced and delivered a healthy – but premature – baby. Just 48 hours later, Kati was set to be discharged. However, she told the staff that she just “didn’t feel right.” They assured her the post-delivery feelings were normal and sent her home.
By the second day, Kati started to notice odd things. The walls seemed to be talking, she experienced bouts of uncontrollable shaking, and her stomach felt like something was moving in it. Concerned, her fiancé demanded they go to the hospital. In the time it took to drive the 15 minutes to the Emergency Room, Kati had become unconscious. The ER team immediately began working on her, struggling to find a blood pressure. The last thing Kati remembers before going unconscious again was “code sepsis” being paged over the intercom.
Admitted to the ICU for two weeks, Kati would experience a rocky recovery. On day four, she was so sick the medical team was convinced she wasn’t going to make it. A will was drafted, Kati’s mom was allowed in, and her baby was brought down from the NICU. Luckily, her labs came back showing she had four bacterial infections, and Infectious Disease was able to determine which antibiotics were needed – saving her life.
Sepsis had wreaked havoc on her body, weakening her so much she needed intense physical therapy to relearn how to walk, feed herself and build strength to hold her baby. By the time she was ready for discharge, she had endured multiple labs and medications and needed three liters of fluid drained from her abdomen. Kati would also require daily hospital visits for IV antibiotics.
After spending some time at home, it became apparent that the IV antibiotics were not treating the infection in her abdomen. She needed to be admitted a third time. Two liters of fluid were drained and this time, drains were placed to prevent fluid from building up again. After another week in the hospital, Kati and her baby were discharged together.
Though the infections were gone, Kati continued to suffer from symptoms brought on by sepsis. She had memory loss, struggling to remember anything that happened in the last three to four years. She began having seizures and used a walker due to leg paralysis. She would later get diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder, a byproduct of severe sepsis illness.
Today, Kati has been seizure-free for the past six months. Her strength returned and she no longer needs her walker. Kati moved to La Crosse in November 2020 and now works as a medical assistant at Gundersen Onalaska Pediatrics clinic. When she’s not working, Kati is very involved with Sepsis Alliance. She appeared in the 2021 Sepsis Around the World campaign. As a sepsis advocate, Kati wants everyone to know that “sepsis can happen to anyone.”
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.