While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed focus on viral infection in general, one of the often-overlooked consequences of viral infection is the development of sepsis. In 2019, before the COVID-19 virus dominated the news cycle and our lives, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority was designated September as “Sepsis Awareness Month” to raise awareness of this deadly condition.

Since sepsis is a condition caused by viral and other infections that have been allowed to get out of control, it is often the result of medical malpractice.

 

What is Sepsis?

 

The Centers for Disease Control defines sepsis as “the body’s extreme response to an infection.” Essentially, in response to being overwhelmed by infection, the immune system gets out of control, releasing large amounts of chemicals into the blood and triggering inflammation in the affected area that can destroy tissue and cause organ failure. This is why sepsis is sometimes referred to as “blood poisoning.” Without proper diagnosis and treatment, sepsis can cause catastrophic injuries and, in many cases, death.

 

How do Viruses Cause Sepsis?

 

Sepsis itself is caused by an overreaction to the immune system. However, the underlying infection triggering the immune response can be a viral infection. These infections can occur anywhere in the body, including the lungs, skin, blood, and bones, and can be caused by seemingly harmless viruses we tend not to fear, such as seasonal influenza.  

 

If left undiagnosed and untreated, these viral infections can be allowed to get out of control, leading to the immune system overreaction that causes sepsis. This is especially true in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants and those over 65 years of age, as the immune systems of such individuals are more susceptible to becoming overwhelmed by a viral infection.

 

The CDC estimates approximately 1.7 million people develop sepsis each year, that approximately 270,000 people die as a result, and that a massive 1 in 3 patients who die in hospitals have sepsis.

What are the Symptoms of Sepsis?

 

Because sepsis symptoms may initially appear to be mild, it is important for patients and their caregivers to carefully monitor viral infections for the development of sepsis.   The patient may suffer a general sense of “not feeling good,” have a slightly increased temperature, shivers or an increased heart rate. As sepsis progresses, however, the symptoms become more severe. According to the Mayo Clinic, Symptoms of advanced sepsis include:

 

• Difficulty breathing and respiratory rates higher than or equal to 22 breaths a minute;
• Abnormal heart function;
• Low blood pressure that requires medication to increase and maintain;
•     A sudden change in mental status/alertness; and
•   High levels of lactic acid in your blood, which indicates your cells aren’t using oxygen properly.

 

Medical providers must be vigilant in monitoring their patients’ symptoms for signs of infection and sepsis. If sepsis is caught early, the infection the body is responding to can typically be treated with anti-virals and other treatments. These treatments help to combat the infection and tame both the immune system’s reaction to the infection and the inflammatory response it causes, thereby lessening the likelihood of developing sepsis. Ignoring or failing to recognize that a viral infection is getting out of control can lead to devastating consequences.

 

What Kind of Injuries Can Sepsis Cause?

 

Sepsis can cause a number of serious and catastrophic injuries, including:

 

• Cognitive issues: Advanced sepsis can cause low blood pressure and inflammation in the brain. This can lead to damage to the brain tissue, ultimately causing severe cognitive dysfunction, such as memory loss and other mental impairment.
• Gangrene: The decreased blood flow and destruction of tissue caused by advanced sepsis can cause tissues, particularly in extremities like the hands and feet, to die and become gangrenous.
• Amputation: When extremities become gangrenous as a result of sepsis, they often must be amputated in order to prevent the spread of infection to other parts and systems of the body.
• Organ Failure: The decreased blood flow and tissue damages caused by advanced sepsis can cause organs and organ systems to incur heavy damage, sometimes shutting down entirely. Damage to the kidneys and lungs is most common in advanced sepsis cases.
• Death: Advanced sepsis can cause blood flow and organ system failure that eventually leads to death.  

 

How can Sepsis be Caused by Medical Malpractice

 

There are several ways medical malpractice can lead to sepsis. One of the most common is the failure to diagnose either the underlying viral infection or the sepsis that is developing as a result of the infection getting out of control. Failing to take proper readings and perform simple tests, such as checking oxygen levels, can cause medical providers to miss obvious signs and symptoms of sepsis. Such failures lead to delays in receiving much needed treatment, allowing the sepsis to enter advanced stages and cause irreversible damage, if not death.

 

Failure to properly treat the underlying infection is another common medical error that can cause sepsis to advance unnecessarily.

 

Lastly, sepsis can commonly occur from infections acquired while in the hospital, either during surgery or as a result of improperly sterilized medical equipment.

 

What Should I Do if I or a Loved One Has Suffered Personal Injury due to Sepsis as a Result of Medical Malpractice?

 

You need to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately. Because most sepsis injury cases involve medical malpractice, they require an extraordinary amount of investigation. Your attorney may need to obtain and review thousands of pages of medical records which will then need to be reviewed by an expert. This is an expensive and time-consuming process that must begin as soon as possible to determine whether you have a claim. You also need an attorney with a thorough knowledge of the practice of medicine and the resources necessary to take the case to trial/

 

At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., we have decades of experience handling medical malpractice claims, including a recent case where a client suffered quadruple amputations as a result of developing sepsis.

 

We handle cases throughout Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia and the surrounding counties to Allegheny County and Centre County, and from the New York border to the borders of West Virginia and Maryland. If you have suffered an injury as a result of medical malpractice, please call our firm – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – at 844-777-2529 (Toll Free) for a consultation. One of our team members will be in immediate contact with you. We maintain offices throughout Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, State College and Bellefonte. We are willing to meet any clients throughout the Commonwealth.