A man was diagnosed with potentially fatal sepsis (generalized infection) after trying to remove an ingrown hair from his leg. At first, the patient was left in a coma, declared brain dead and doctors gave him only a 4% chance of life. After a month, he came out of the coma without showing signs of brain damage. He has since recovered almost completely.
Stevewhose last name and age were not revealed, was diagnosed in late 2022. His sister, Michelle, documented the entire process on his TikTok account. Doctors discovered that the septic bacterial infection had reached his heart and the “destroyed”said the sister through videos.
A sepsis It is a generalized inflammation triggered by the body’s response to an out-of-control infection. It begins in the lungs, kidneys, abdomen, bladder, skin or central nervous system. Nicknamed “silent assassin”, can quickly stimulate a range of potentially fatal complications, including organ failure. If left untreated, it can lead to death.
Sepsis, ultimately, can cause multiple organ failure and this leads to so-called ‘septic shock’, when blood pressure drops abruptly and does not respond to treatment. The shock suffered by Steve led to a series of alarming complications, including blood clots, pneumonia, organ failure and the lung disease ARDS – acute respiratory distress syndrome.
However, due to complications, the patient was intubated and placed in an induced coma to allow his body to recover. He spent almost 18 hours a day turning away from his chest, which improved the flow of oxygen to his lungs. So doctors performed surgery on Steven to repair the damage caused by sepsis.
A World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the syndrome is one of the main causes of death in the world. Mainly, the elderly, children, people hospitalized or with chronic illnesses and those with fragile immune systems constitute risk groups.
The WHO warns that most cases of the syndrome can be avoided with simple precautions, such as washing your hands with soap and water, keeping your vaccination card up to date and avoiding the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
* Under the supervision of Lilian Coelho
