May 05 Sepsis, a process that continues to be underestimated
I tell my story because I also discovered that very few know what sepsis, or septic shock, is. Even within the medical field, it is surprising to know how unaware there is about this.
On October 31, 2016, 10 weeks after giving birth, I began to feel bad, less and less strength and more and more intense renal colic, so I went to the health center guard where I always see myself. When I arrived he was already vomiting, he couldn't even hold down a sip of water.
They did blood and urine tests, prescribed ibuprofen, injected me with a painkiller, and sent me home.
Three hours later my temperature had risen to 39°, the vomiting and colic continued and I started with diarrhea. I was drowsy and completely lacking in strength. At 23 pm I returned to the sanatorium and asked to be admitted, and although the doctor disagreed, he agreed.
For 24 hours I was in the common room, continually deteriorating, although none of the nurses who came to check on me noticed it, since the vital signs were false. Even the doctor did not realize that she had not even been able to urinate.
24 hours later, my husband demanded that they take my blood pressure again, and there they realize that the blood pressure monitor did not detect it, they call the doctor, who tries to put me in with a central line, and after 9 failed attempts, they send me to intensive care with the diagnosis of septic shock, unknown cause.
They saved my life, even though the prognosis was very grim. I stayed in the ICU for 15 days until I was finally discharged. The cause was a urinary tract infection, although it took 10 days to determine since they could not detect the bacteria in the blood.
In subsequent check-ups I confirmed that few doctors know what septic shock is, its symptoms or treatment, apparently it is still very underestimated.
Constance's testimony.