A common illness, the seasonal flu? Not always. In the United States, a 15-year-old girl succumbed to the flu in just a few days – despite being athletic and healthy.
This sad story begins December 30, 2019. Lacie Rian Fisher (15) announces to her parents that she will not be able to participate in the basketball championship of her high school – she is a cheerleader. Her father is not too worried: the young girl has classic flu symptoms (body aches, lack of appetite, clammy skin) and he recommends that she go rest.
The teenager spends the weekend in bed – under the duvet and with apple juice. But when Monday morning arrives, 9 a.m., she still doesn’t feel better: her father decides to take her to the pediatrician. Getting out of the car, in front of the doctor’s office, Lacie Rian screams, falls and then passes out. She will never wake up: her death is officially pronounced at 4:45 p.m.
Septic shock, a serious complication of the flu
What happened ? The 15-year-old girl succumbed to septic shock, a complication of the flu that is similar to sepsis. In short: in the event of flu, if the illness is severe and/or the immune system is weakened, the natural mechanisms for fighting infection can spread throughout the body: this results in overactivity of the immune system and inflammation. generalized in the body.
It should be noted that this flu complication does not only concern fragile people: it can also occur in healthy individuals.
How to recognize septic shock? Septic shock is characterized by high fever (with an impression of “hot skin”) or on the contrary by hypothermia (the patient seems very cold and has chills).
Breathing and heart rate are abnormally accelerated. Neurological symptoms can be observed: the patient is confused, he has trouble thinking, he feels restless. More rarely, there may be a rash, bruising (“bruises”) and/or bleeding.
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