Helen McGlothlin Counts

Sepsis Alliance teaches us Every Minute Counts. My Mom, ironically named Helen Counts, lived and loved her life to its fullest. Even at 92 she still had so much to live for and give. Sadly it took the ugly face of sepsis to take her down.

Mom worked until she was almost 90, drove all over town, cooked non-stop, and was sharp as a tack. One morning while changing her bed she caught her foot, fell backwards, and inadvertently damaged a vertebra in her lower back.

She was admitted to a local hospital and given pain medication that she was allergic to. This delayed minor back surgery (kyphoplasty) for 4 days while hospitalizing her for 5. Although the surgery was deemed successful, she was sent home with redness from the IV in her arm. She was seen the next evening by a visiting nurse but there were no alarms. (Sepsis and Surgery)

That same night she awoke delirious with a fever but to not inconvenience anyone, she delayed calling out for help for over 6 hrs. By morning she was readmitted to the ER and diagnosed with sepsis, having considerable infection in her hand, urinary tract, and later confirmed in her blood. As we now know, even with aggressive antibiotics, a delay of minutes in treating sepsis decreases the chances of survival. In retrospect, her fate had already been sealed.

After time in the CCU with various antibiotics, medical attention seemed to turn away from sepsis and focus on other issues of concern. She lost her appetite from the strong meds, became constipated, and after all the extensive testing, her heart became erratic. Testing was stopped and she was sent home to rebuild strength. Still anemic and now incontinent, she was back in the hospital for the 3rd time. More extensive testing (from gall bladder to colon to hernia) was inconclusive. Still experiencing ongoing back pain, a spinal block was performed and she was transported to a nearby assisted living facility. Six weeks later she was still declining, had repeated low grade infections, and had no relief from the constant back pain. Most critically, her personality was unrecognizable. I have been told this is very common with sepsis but at that point it was not on the family’s radar.

At this juncture, she was moved to a highly regarded hospital in Virginia. They tried cocktails of antibiotics, more complex back surgery, a stent, and eventually physical therapy. From her fall in early March, she had been hospitalized for over 100 days (not counting 35 in assistant living) and subjected to endless tests and procedures, but sepsis was still winning. After a valiant 6 month battle, we lost our Mother to sepsis. Unfortunately a battle that may have been lost early on.

On a positive note, the final days were actually a blessing. Mom participated in a clinical trial using intravenous injections of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Although too late for her weak body to repair, it showed very promising results. Phase 2 (now in the recruiting stage) has a planned roster of 170 patients and is well under way at VCU in Richmond, Va. We will watch it closely and pray for continued promising results.

The elderly are often discounted because of the many issues that quickly surface after an initial health incident. At the very least, age complicates the situation. My Mom was the ultimate fighter and had sepsis been guarded against from Day 1, her story may have been different. Sepsis must be recognized as the medical emergency that it is, and all care takers (from home care nurses to ambulance personnel to family members) along with patients themselves must be vigilant. Every minute counts.

Source: by Ann Counts Rauhauser (Helen's daughter)