It is the deadliest condition in the ICU. 10,000 people die from it every year and that is more than all deaths from traffic, breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. We are talking about sepsis, a disturbed immune response of the body to an infection. Doctors and the platform for sepsis patients are calling for a public campaign. People but also healthcare professionals need to know more about the condition, which is becoming increasingly common. “The sooner you catch it, the greater the chance of recovery.”
Ilona Haas can barely live to tell the tale. The young mother contracts sepsis after surgery. Shortly after the operation, she is now home, she does not feel well. It turns out she has a kidney infection and is receiving antibiotics. The doctor calls her on Friday for a check-up, she is not feeling well but goes into the weekend with the message: ‘just keep an eye on it’.
Completely confused
Things still go wrong. She gets a high fever, calls the emergency clinic and can come straight away. “I remember the nurse next to me said, ‘oh shit,’ and then I collapsed. I went into septic shock, with a heart rate of 30 and a very high fever. I came away completely confused, with a crash cart next to me. I had delirium and was completely confused.”
Ilona is sent home shortly afterwards. She hasn’t fully recovered yet and doesn’t know at all what happened to her. In her file she reads that she has had sepsis. She searches for exactly what that is and what she should do. “There was hardly any aftercare from the hospital. They made me feel stupid, and I’m angry about that. I was never able to manage expectations. I thought: ‘I’ll go back to work in a few weeks’. But the recovery took two years, and I’m still not here.”
Long-term burden
That is exactly what doctor researcher Martje Visser wants to change: there must be more awareness about sepsis, among the public and also among healthcare professionals. Research must be conducted into why some people suffer from long-term residual complaints and how they can best be treated. To this end, a sepsis clinic is being set up at the UMC Groningen. “We don’t know what makes one person fully recover and another not. At the outpatient clinic we can map out what we can do for patients and what kind of help we can offer.”
Not a moment too late, the platform for sepsis patients finds ‘Sepsis and beyond’. According to founder Idelette Nutma, the Netherlands is hopelessly behind in the field of information for patients and healthcare workers. “You have to educate people about early signals. The story ‘then you get overprotective citizens’ is not correct. If you have sepsis, it really is as if you have never been so sick before. You deteriorate quickly. In England and Sweden there are already public campaigns, sepsis awareness is important there. That must also happen here, just like with a heart attack or cerebral infarction.”
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Sepsis Awareness: A Silent Killer
So, it turns out that the deadliest thing out there isn’t a monster under your bed or a clown with a penchant for balloon animals! Nope, it’s actually sepsis—the sneaky villain of the ICU world. Every year, it claims about 10,000 lives—more than traffic accidents, breast cancer, and prostate cancer combined! Now that’s what I call an overachiever!
What is This Sepsis Anyway?
In simple terms, sepsis is like your body throwing a tantrum. It’s a disturbed immune response to an infection, where your body decides to take its defenses a bit too seriously and, boom, it starts attacking itself! And let’s be honest, that’s not the kind of self-care we’re going for here, is it?
Ilona Haas, a young mother, experienced this firsthand. After a routine surgery—simple, right?—she finds herself in a battle with sepsis, feeling worse instead of recovering. Talk about a plot twist! Instead of a happily-ever-after post-op, she’s staring down the barrel of a kidney infection and a round of antibiotics. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t go as planned.
From Confusion to Collapse
When Ilona’s body said “uh-oh,” it was more dramatic than a soap opera! She was hit with a high fever, and the next thing she remembers is collapsing in front of medical staff. Her nurse, not one to sugarcoat the severity, uttered, “oh shit!”—and before you know it, she’s off to the world of septic shock, racing heart rate, and fever spikes. Basically, she’s in a medical horror story.
Now, the hospital sends her back home rather quickly, leaving her in the dark about what had just transpired. You’d think after a near-death experience, they’d give her a medal or at least a pamphlet! But no, she’s left confused and angry, feeling like she’d just been given the wrong cake on her birthday—a missed opportunity for some serious aftercare!
The Long Haul
Our pal, Dr. Martje Visser, wants to change this narrative. “Let’s make sepsis the talk of the town,” she says, and honestly, it’s about time! Research into why some people bounce back while others are stuck with long-term problems is being prioritized. A sepsis clinic is on the horizon at UMC Groningen, which sounds like a plan, if you ask me!
While the rest of Europe is rolling out the red carpet for sepsis awareness (looking at you, England and Sweden), the Netherlands seems to be snoozing on the sidelines. Idelette Nutma, founder of the sepsis patient platform, is waving her arms saying, “Hey, people need to know!” And quite frankly, she has a point. How many times do we need to wait until sepsis gets a campaign worthy of its deadly prowess?
Final Thoughts: Don’t Be a Statistic!
So here’s the takeaway: sepsis isn’t just some fancy medical term; it’s a serious condition that can escalate faster than your favorite Netflix series! If you feel worse after surgery or have any of the classic symptoms, don’t take it lightly. Get yourself checked out because the sooner you catch it, the greater the chance of recovery!
Let’s pull together, spread awareness, and make sepsis the talked-about topic it deserves to be! No one should have to go through what Ilona did, feeling lost in the healthcare maze.
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Ust been thrown into a shark-infested pool without a life vest. Not exactly the recovery plan one hopes for after surgery!
**Interview Segment:**
**Interviewer:** Welcome, and thank you for joining us today! We’re here to discuss the serious issue of sepsis, and we’re fortunate to have Dr. Martje Visser, a dedicated researcher in this field, and Ilona Haas, a sepsis survivor, with us. Dr. Visser, let’s start with you. Can you explain briefly what sepsis is and why it’s such a concern in healthcare today?
**Dr. Visser:** Absolutely! Sepsis occurs when the body has an extreme response to an infection. It can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and even death if not recognized and treated promptly. It’s particularly concerning because it often progresses quickly and can be mistaken for other illnesses. The mortality rate in the ICU is alarmingly high, and as you mentioned, it kills around 10,000 people each year, which is more than you would expect from many well-known diseases.
**Interviewer:** That’s staggering. Ilona, you’ve shared your personal journey with sepsis. How did your experience unfold, and what was the turning point for you?
**Ilona Haas:** Well, after my surgery, I felt unwell, but my symptoms were brushed off. When I finally collapsed and entered septic shock, it was terrifying. I was confused and didn’t understand what was happening. I think the scariest part wasn’t just the physical aspects—like the fever and confusion—but also how unprepared I was for the reality of sepsis. I went home only to discover later that I had experienced something so serious without any clear guidance or support.
**Interviewer:** That must have been incredibly frustrating. Dr. Visser, you mentioned the need for greater awareness. What steps are being taken to educate both the public and healthcare providers about sepsis?
**Dr. Visser:** There are various initiatives underway, including the establishment of specialized sepsis clinics like the one we’re setting up at UMC Groningen. We aim to educate medical professionals on recognizing the early signs and symptoms and to ensure that patients like Ilona receive follow-up care. Additionally, public campaigns similar to those for heart disease are crucial for raising awareness. We need to encourage people to advocate for their health when they suspect an infection.
**Interviewer:** Ilona, what do you think can be done to help those who have experienced sepsis like you?
**Ilona Haas:** There needs to be a lot more support—both aftercare and education. Patients should not only be informed about the possibility of sepsis during their initial treatment but also be educated on what to expect afterward. People need to understand that recovery can be long and varied, and it’s vital they don’t feel alone or anxious during that process.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Ilona, and Dr. Visser. Your insights are invaluable. As we wrap up, how can our listeners learn more or get involved in sepsis awareness efforts?
**Dr. Visser:** I encourage everyone to visit public health websites, like the one for Sepsis Awareness Month, to learn more about the signs and symptoms. It is a community effort, and an informed public can lead to faster diagnosis and better outcomes.
**Ilona Haas:** Yes! Share your knowledge with friends and family. It might just save a life. Sepsis is a silent killer, but it doesn’t have to remain in the shadows.
**Interviewer:** Thank you both for sharing your experiences and expertise. Let’s continue the conversation about sepsis and work towards saving more lives.
