'I didn't realize how sick I was' — The importance of sepsis awareness

On a cold, rainy day in November 2023, Richard “Dick” Malz and his wife, Sheila, Hamburg, had just returned home from running errands when Dick started to feel a bit chilled. Not thinking much of it, Sheila gave Dick a blanket before she left for the local blood drive. By the time she arrived home, Dick was cold, shaking and he knew something was not right. “You better take me in,” Dick told Sheila.

Sheila drove Dick to the Emergency Department (ED) at Ridgeview’s Waconia Campus. He knew he was sick but did not realize just how sick he truly was. Upon arriving at the ED, the Ridgeview team quickly determined that Dick had sepsis — a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to an infection.

The body’s most extreme response to an infection

When we are sick, our body’s immune system works hard to fight off infections. Sometimes the immune system activation triggers an inappropriate chain reaction that results in damage to cells and organs. It is an extreme response which causes widespread inflammation throughout the body — this is the start of sepsis. The condition progresses rapidly and must be recognized and treated immediately as it can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death.

In Dick’s case, Ridgeview’s ED team recognized the severity of his condition and acted quickly. “My blood pressure was really low, and they started giving me antibiotics right away,” Dick said. According to Matthew Herold, MD, emergency physician and Ridgeview's Chief Medical Officer, "This quick response is imperative when it comes to sepsis — it can mean the difference between life and death."

The importance of TIME

Sepsis can affect people of all ages and can develop from almost any type of infection — bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic no matter how big or small. Dick learned this the tough way. “It started from a small wound on my leg that I didn’t really think much about,” he explained. While anyone can be affected by sepsis, there are certain populations who are more at risk. This includes people under the age of 1 or over the age of 65, people with chronic conditions (such as diabetes, cancer, kidney disease), people who are pregnant or were recently pregnant, people with recent severe illness and sepsis survivors.

A particularly difficult characteristic with sepsis is that early symptoms can be vague and may look like other illnesses — resulting in a barrier to timely treatment. To help create awareness, the Sepsis Alliance developed a national initiative, “It’s About TIME™.” When it comes to symptoms, remember TIME:

• TEMPERATURE: higher or lower than normal

• INFECTION: may have signs and symptoms of an infection

• MENTAL DECLINE: confused, sleepy, difficult to rouse

• EXTREMELY ILL: severe pain, discomfort, shortness of breath

Immediate treatment for a favorable outcome

A diagnosis of sepsis is not based on the presence of an infection alone; rather, health care providers look for concerning symptoms and use multiple tests. This may include blood tests to look for signs of infection in the blood, urine tests to assess kidney function, and imaging tests to look for the site of the infection.

Once diagnosed, treatment must begin immediately, as the Society of Critical Care Medicine reports that the risk of death increases with every hour that proper treatment is delayed. Sepsis cannot be treated at home — it is a severe medical emergency that requires treatment in a hospital, often in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Dick was admitted to Ridgeview’s ICU Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, and spent the following four days receiving treatment — including Thanksgiving Day. “It wasn’t all that bad; I had a good turkey meal, but it wasn’t the same as having the family all together.” By late Friday afternoon, Dick was discharged and able to return home.

For Dick, like many sepsis patients, his treatment did not end when he left the ICU. For the next 11 days, he came to Ridgeview to receive IV treatments. Additionally, his leg was very swollen and required weekly treatments from Ridgeview’s Wound & Hyperbaric Healing team.

Thankful for lifesaving care

Dick is back to his usual routine and is thankful for care he received from Ridgeview. “Everyone was very thorough. They took the time to answer my questions and explained what was going on every step of the way,” Dick shared. “They kept me going.”