Augusto A Penson

It was Wed, Dec. 28th, 2016. My father, my kids, husband and I went to a nice park for a relaxing bike ride. My dad appeared more tired than usual that day. Once we were done, we went out to eat. My dad said to me he was tired, and ‘he needed to realize he was no longer a kid’. He barely eat that night. The next day, we were supposed to go to a museum with our children, but he was feeling very ill by now. He was weak, had a low grade fever, heartbeat was high- but we thought it was because of the fever. He also had a hard time urinating. He insisted to stay home and relax, that perhaps the bike ride had made him feel this way and he was fighting something.

The next day (Friday) he was so weak, he could barely stand. He had a very strange color on his skin. We finally convinced him to call his cardiologist. We were worried. My father had two previous heart attacks and was diabetic. (Sepsis and Diabetes) The doctor convinced him to go to the ER and we took him. He was given IV fluids and was told he had kidney injury because he was dehydrated and ‘pushed himself during the bike ride’. Also, no UTI was found.

On Saturday he felt better and was told he would be discharged soon. However his fever got progressively higher through out the day and the doctor ordered blood cultures. By Saturday night he was given an IV antibiotic just in case there was anything else. On Sunday morning, his lungs filled up with fluid and he needed urgent oxygen. He had violent chills and was speaking nonsense. Yet, after the oxygen he was back to speaking and well aware of his situation. At this point he told my mother, and later me that he was dying. We refused to believe he was. It was only after his lungs issues, that the doctors wrote “septic shock” on his chart or mentioned sepsis. His blood pressure was 50/40. At that point it was too late.

A few hours later, on Sunday afternoon (New Year’s Day 2017) he passed away as his heart couldn’t take it. We never found out where the infection came from. My father was 67 years old, active, full of life. Sepsis took him away in half a week. I learned that if the doctors would have suspected it earlier, and given him a procalcitonin test as soon as he was admitted, perhaps earlier antibiotic intervention might have saved him. His levels of the procalcitonin test were horrifying, that’s how high they were. Obvious bacterial sepsis parameter…… This is a heartbreaking disease; everyone needs to be aware of the symptoms and this blood test. RIP Father…..

Source: Viviana, Augusto's daughter