My mom, who has moderate dementia and Parkinsons started showing strong signs of UTI (fever, severe confusion, weakness, strong urine smell) so I took her to ER and she definitely has a UTI. They admitted her and started fluids and antibiotics. The next morning the doctor at the hospital came to speak with me and said she has a blood infection (sepsis) and "it's the bad kind" as he put it, gram-negative bacteria. He said they are going to continue antibiotics and fluid and she seems stable now. When I asked if she could die from it he just said he wants to concentrate on clearing up the UTI first in hopes that will help. She still has a fever but the nurses said it has gone down a couple points. Not sure what to think about all of this and wondered if anyone out there has had a similar experience. I just want to be prepared and also want to make certain I give other family members who are out of state some notice.
Sepsis can be caught at Nursing Homes and Rehab facilities as well.I think that's where my mom picked it up. The nurse at the Skilled facility,said her temp was 104 degrees.
Denver, so happy for you and mom!
My mom was 91, went back to ALin a totally debilitated state after pneumonia related septic shock. They were able to get her up walking again, but not independently with a walker as she had been doing before. Each time she's hospitalized, the result is a new level of "weaker" mom. So we've moved to palliative care, meaning that whatever treatment they can provide at the nh is the limit on her treatment. They pulled her through a bout of pneumonia last year.
Good luck!
It's not an infectious disease, yet everyone that comes in contact with someone that has it, has to wear gloves, a disposable gown and make sure they wash their hands? Not to mention, C-Diff, and/or Sepsis can live on surfaces for a long time.
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream 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.
If sepsis progresses to septic shock, blood pressure drops dramatically, which may lead to death.
Anyone can develop sepsis, but it's most common and most dangerous in older adults or those with weakened immune systems. Early treatment of sepsis, usually with antibiotics and large amounts of intravenous fluids, improves chances for survival.
Angel
We spent the whole night in the emergency room enduring test after test. Mom was so sad thinking she was going to miss Christmas. Finally, the very last test seemed to give us some answers....You guessed it, she had a UTI. The poisons had entered the bloodstream and travelled to her brain mimicking dementia like symptoms. To us, it was out of the blue because Mom never complained about any type of pain or symptom otherwise, which we found out was common in seniors, they do not experience the usual symptoms associated with an UTI. Who knew?! obviously not us at the time....
We arrived home the morning of Christmas Eve to prepare the family dinner for that same night. Mom missed it all. We took turns going upstairs and sitting with her in the bedroom for the evening. All in all, exhausting for everyone.
There is a happy ending to follow...
The doctor did not mention anything to us about sepsis but toxins entering the bloodstream and travelling to the brain does not sound like a minor issue. Especially when it was causing multiple fainting spells! I did some research and we attacked the problem with some simple changes and common sense.
I set-up a water-bottle system so Mom would drink the proper amount of water and we could monitor her intake. The health food store recommended some natural supplements for UTIs and some pro-biotics. Some dietary changes including prune juice and prunes (she suffered from terrible constipation as well). Fresh fruit/vegetable smoothies daily along with vitamin supplements. I also cook all her meals, package them into single serving sizes for the freezer do all food is home cooked-no processed crap.
At first, progress was slow. Mom hates and fights against change. We did not know if this was a waste of our time.....
Flash forward almost three years........
Mom is like brand new. No more UTI problems, no more constipation. She lost weight (the fat rolls from eating high processed foods) but still carries a healthy frame - not skinny or frail looking. She has memory issues as with anyone her age but no scary confusion. Her blood pressure has stabilized (yes, she is on HBP meds too)She's pretty with it for an "old bird" and she'll get you with her sense of humor. Her skin glows and everyone swears she has gotten younger! I swear it's the simple intake of water....Overall, the changes are remarkable.
I know this sounds like too simple of a solution to what can be a complex medical issue. I know every individual situation is different. We took a dire situation and turned it around just by trying different things. It has taken a couple years to get here, but here we are....so there is hope for you and your mom too.
We are very lucky as we have more than one family member in the home to care for her and I have my own suite right downstairs. This does make things easier. We hope for the best, we prepare for the worst, and we usually land somewhere in the middle. I wish you the best of luck!!
Z asked if anyone had considered suing NH or Hospitals because a patient had "caught" sepsis. That's what I was responding to.
1. ExSO, cleaning out a pond, slipped on decking and gashed his elbow on some rock edging. The wound was cleaned in ER, but prophylactic antibiotics were not given. Following day, cellulitis; next day, rampant cellulitis, returned to ER at my insistence, sent home; next day, workplace occupational health GP had him admitted to private hospital for 2 days of IV antibiotics.
2. Self attempting to catch mother's deeply disturbed and neurotic cat who sank his fangs into my hand. Wound dressed in walk-in unit, but no antibiotics given: next day my hand looked like a washing up glove that some wag had inflated. Alert GP sent me to ER; admission to hospital for three days of IV Augmentin. And by the way, I felt like death - what does surprise me is how often the symptoms seem to get missed.
3. Daughter aged under two caught chicken pox and became extremely ill with a secondary bacterial infection. IV Flucloxacillin, followed by oral therapy under medical supervision on the understanding that if she didn't continue to respond she was to be returned to ER.
Babalou is quite correct: sepsis is what happens when an infection gets the bit between its teeth and goes on the rampage systemically. But it doesn't follow that any infection will inevitably lead to sepsis: most are dealt with by the body's own immune system, with help as necessary from the medical profession.
And I must say - taking up Z's question and substituting "developed" for "caught" - that if exSO had ended up minus his left arm or dead I would certainly have considered suing that NHS Trust for negligence. There has recently been quite a bit of publicity about sepsis, and it is something that a good physician should consciously exclude rather than await developments. Time is of the essence.
My bad. Sepsis develops as a result of an infection. That being said, medical malpractice suits seem to be increasing due to Sepsis. Has anyone considered taking legal action due to losing a loved one to Sepsis?
People who are in the hospital can still get Sepsis and die from it. In fact, it is quite common in the ICU.
Cat bites can be Extremely Nasty! I've seen a man nearly lose his hand and that was With him seeking immediate medical care, and being in hospital on IV antibiotics! Cats carry a lot of Bd Bacteria in their mouthes, so if you or LO should ever get a cat bit, broken skin or not, seek immediate medical attention! Sometimes you can't see microscopic breaks in the skin! the skin.
Bacteria can double every four to trwenty minutes, so infections can reach epic proportions in only hours! With infection, so much has to do with the patient's own immune system. If they are weak and frail, have multiple co-morbidities, then their chances of battling it becomes so much more challenging! For this reason, our elderly population is always at greater risk.
I'm so sorry, Your dad really suffered. Hospitals and NH/AL's don't want to take the chance of being sued, so they do take steps to protect themselves.
You're welcome. That's a shame. Maybe you can take comfort that he is not in pain anymore and is at peace.