Sepsis

99purdy

Registered User
Oct 31, 2014
132
0
Hi all, has anybody had any experience of sepsis. Dad taken to hospital from nursing home after seizure. When I arrived it was very traumatic myself and two carers from home had to hold Dad down during 'seizures'. They are now treating him for meningitis??
Stayed all day, tonight he was very aggressive trying to hit and bite nursing staff. Ripped canular out. Speech has completed disappeared. Are people with sepsis so aggressive and where do they get strength from? Feel they are wrong about diagonise but they know better than me? What a horrible illness and thank goodness for all the lovely careers who work in nursing homes they really did over and above what was expected of them.
 

Sue J

Registered User
Dec 9, 2009
8,032
0
You'd be amazed what sepsis can do. Ask if they have checked his blood gases.

Hope he improves soon
Best wishes
Sue
 

susy

Registered User
Jul 29, 2013
801
0
North East
I would imagine it was diagnosed after blood tests and possibly a lumbar puncture?
Things like aggression, confusions and temperature are all signs of infection.
I hope things improve and he feels better soon xx
 

99purdy

Registered User
Oct 31, 2014
132
0
Thanks so much for your replies. Blood tests and gases carried out but no lumbar puncture due to aggiated state. Can not get my head round it he feels hot then cold, no temperature, eyes have now swollen and are sticky, mucus in throat and around lips. Urine very dark. He cannot get up, laid flat in bed, neck looks locked?
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
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The sticky eyes and mucus and the dark urine are probably the result of dehydration. The elderly can have an infection, even a bad one, without the classic elevated temperature result.
 

99purdy

Registered User
Oct 31, 2014
132
0
Thank you for your reply Jennifer. Can not explain how useless I feel with this. This is my Stepfather, though he has been part of our lives for over 40 years. My natural dad, we love them both dearly has had bowel, stomach cancer, 2 hip replacements, knee replacements, hernia repair, quite seriously ill, but very mentally with it. We knew how to help him because he told us what was wrong. Poor stepdad he can not speak to tell us what is wrong. Feel useless.
 

LYN T

Registered User
Aug 30, 2012
6,958
0
Brixham Devon
Please don't feel useless Purdy.

You are there for your Step Father in the most dire circumstances and at the moment that's all you can do.

Don't forget to take care of yourself at this very difficult time

Lyn T XX
 

Anne&C

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
112
0
Northern Ireland
Hi Purdy. Yes, sister developed sepsis from a chest infection and spent a week in hospital on iv antibiotics last year. They had to change the ab 3 times before they got the right one. It's a dangerous condition as people can deteriorate very fast once sepsis develops and can go into shock in a matter of hours. The impact on dementia symptoms was massive for my sister. I stayed in hospital with her and she had really bad hallucinations. I spent one night lying beside her trying to keep her from removing her oxygen mask and reassuring her that the invisible man in the corner wasn't going to hurt her. When the infection was sorted she recovered well but it took months rather than weeks. Good luck to your stepfather. Take care. x
 

99purdy

Registered User
Oct 31, 2014
132
0
Hi thanks everyone for your comments. Been at Dads bedside most of today, just got back home. Pleased to say he seems much better swelling round the eyes has gone down. They now think he has encephalitis. His speech is much better. He is just sleeping most of time. So we will have to see how the next few days go x