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https://theconversation.com/sepsis-why-this-deadly-condition-is-so-hard-to-diagnose-231120>
"Tory MP Craig Mackinlay recently returned to Commons for the first time after
suffering from a life-threatening bout of sepsis last year. Since his return to
public duties, Mackinlay has spoken candidly about his experience with the
near-fatal illness that led to the amputation of his hands and feet.
Last September, Mackinlay said he’d begun feeling unwell – but didn’t think
anything of his symptoms, especially after testing negative for COVID.
But his condition quickly worsened throughout the night. When Mackinlay was
finally admitted to hospital the following day, his entire body had turned
blue. He was experiencing septic shock – a severe form of sepsis. Mackinlay was
put into an induced coma, waking up 16 days later. He’d had just a 5% chance of
survival.
With nearly 50 million cases and 11 million deaths globally each year, sepsis
represents a significant global health crisis. Yet despite its prevalence,
sepsis remains a perplexing condition to diagnose promptly.
Sepsis is a severe condition that arises when the body’s response to an
infection injures its own tissues and organs. It can develop in a very short
timeframe – usually hours, if untreated.
Sepsis is typically triggered by a bacterial or viral infection – often in the
lungs, urinary tract, abdomen or from a wound. If these pathogens escape the
infected area, they can then enter the bloodstream where they’re able to spread
throughout the body into surrounding tissues and major organs.
Because of how quickly the infection spreads, the immune system gets
overwhelmed and becomes dysregulated – meaning it stops functioning as it
normally should. This triggers an exaggerated immune response known as a
cytokine storm. This cytokine storm not only fails to clear the infection, it
also causes extensive tissue and organ damage – which may cause severe
complications and even death without prompt treatment.
Sepsis can affect anyone – though older adults, infants, young children and
people with chronic health conditions (such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma and
cancer) are at greater risk due to differences in the way their immune systems
function."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
