Having an infection can cause a lot of problems in your body. The severity and type of infection can play a direct role in how you can recover from it. There are many times that infections are mild and will go away with only simple treatments. In other cases, the infection might be left unaddressed or it may be resistant to antibiotics, which means that the patient might suffer grave harm.
When an infection isn’t treated promptly and properly, the result can be devastating to the patient. In some instances, an infection like strep can manifest into sepsis. This is a life-threatening event that requires immediate emergency medical care.
Scientists have discovered that a toxin released by strep is the reason why sepsis comes on so suddenly and strongly. The toxin forces platelets to respond in an abnormal manner. Instead of coating the bacteria to help the body defend against it, the platelets clump together and are collected in the kidneys and liver. This allows the bacteria to flow freely through the blood without being stopped. The eventual result is organ failure if this isn’t treated.
Now that it is known what connection makes sepsis worse in a patient with a staph infection, work on the treatment can begin. The current treatment is to give the patient antibiotics and then to address each issue they are having individually. One research program is testing the use of a specific antibody to prevent sepsis.
For patients who have an infection, getting the correct diagnosis and treatment plan might prevent serious issues. If you don’t receive those, you might opt to pursue compensation for any damages you suffered due to the doctor misdiagnosing you or providing the incorrect treatment.
