When Sepsis Hits the Lungs
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What happened to Kristan Seaford during her sepsis experience?
Sepsis, as you know, is a systemic problem and that means it occurs all over the body, and in some patients, you know, 30 to 40% of patients, that body reaction damages the lungs, and we call that acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS.
This is the Sepsis Spectrum, a podcast about antimicrobial resistance, sepsis, and how to expect the unexpected in your practice.
Sepsis Alliance gratefully acknowledges the monetary support provided by Vantiv for this podcast series.
Hi, I'm Kristen Seaford and I am a sepsis survivor. Nine years ago, on November twenty fourth, 2013. I was about to have 32 people for Thanksgiving dinner. That week, my kids, I have five kids, they had been sick, coming in and out of the house all week with strep throat, the flu, colds, you name it. So I should have known that I would likely get sick. But I just kept going. Moms don't get sick days. And so I did what I always did and I kept going. But Saturday night I started to feel pretty sick. started feeling achy, um a little feverish, and had as a bad sore throat. So when I rolled over on Sunday morning and texted my friend, sorry, I can't run today. My husband knew that something was really wrong.
So I asked my husband if he would go ahead and take all the kids to church for me so that I could stay home and rest. They weren't gone two hours if that. And they came home and they found me unconscious and unresponsive. I was coughing and gasping for air. My husband called nine one one. He started What he knew of CPR, which wasn't much and Zoomed me off to the hospital. We got there long enough for them to test me for the flu. Which I was positive. They also tested me for strep throat. I was also positive. And when the chest x-ray came back, it showed that I had a pretty severe case of double pneumonia. And then the blood work came back and showed that indeed. The infection, the strep infection had gotten into my bloodstream, which we all know now anyway.
is a sign of sepsis. They whisked me away to the hospital in uptown Charlotte. I was on full life support. They put me into a rotoprone bed, which is where your head is lower than your feet. And they let the pneumonia drain out of them such that the antibiotics could work better. They also gave me some medications that were experimental. Slowly but surely I came around. I started to breathe on my own. Once I woke up, it was a great celebration. That was actually Christmas Day of 2013. It was our Christmas miracle, right? But It didn't come without its costs and the medications that they gave me actually. They are known to work by taking the blood, nutrients, oxygen away from your limbs to save your organs.
And that is exactly what happened. I lived, but in effect my hands and feet died. They were Black and gangrene. twisted. So a month after I woke up, they did a Big quadruple amputation surgery. I lost both arms below the elbow. I lost my left leg below the knee. And they were able to save part of my right foot. I have wonderful prosthetics that can open and close. I can drive. I can get dinner on the table most nights and make sure my kids pack their lunches, take care of myself. And back to work full time. My career before all of this happened was to be a mental health counselor. And so I don't have hands and feet, but I still have ears and I am a good counselor, a better counselor. because of all that I have gone through.
I struggle a lot. But I also succeed a lot. So I got myself lucky to be able to help.
Hi everyone and welcome to the sepsis spectrum. I'm Nicole Kupchik, critical care nurse, clinical nurse specialist, and your guide through the unpredictable world of sepsis. Or as we've liked to call this season, sepsis and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome. As we close out season two, I've been thinking a lot about the fragile rhythm we're all so lucky to have. That quiet, automatic movement between inhale and exhale that carries us through every moment. Breathing is arguably the simplest thing we do and the easiest thing to forget until it's gone. The clip you just heard was from Kristen Seaford, a mother of five
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What happened to Kristan Seaford during her sepsis experience?
0:00–9:23
2
How does Dr. Julie Bastarache describe the spectrum of sepsis‑induced ARDS?
9:23–19:57
3
What is reverse‑translational science and how is it used to study sepsis?
19:57–29:04
4
Why are GLP‑1 receptor agonists being investigated as protective agents in sepsis?
29:04–38:36
5
What are the key physiologic changes in the lungs during ARDS?
38:36–43:48
6
How do clinicians decide between high‑flow nasal cannula, BiPAP, and mechanical ventilation?
43:48–46:57