The plight of Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway's husband Derek is ongoing. Garraway has now spoken about her husband’s return to hospital with what she says is “life-threatening” sepsis.
Derek Draper, a 54-year-old former political adviser, initially fell ill with coronavirus in March 2020, but has suffered some long-term damage. Draper's poor health led Garraway to take a three-week break from GMB to look after her husband when he took a sharp decline.
He has been diagnosed with sepsis by A&E staff, with the source of the infection being his kidneys, reports the Mirror. This may leave some with questions about the condition and how it develops, as identifying sepsis early is vital for proper treatment.
Thankfully, this has been the case for Draper, whose swift diagnosis has meant he is receiving proper care with things looking positive. “He’s still in hospital, not in intensive care, waiting for another procedure, looking really good.,” Garraway told GMB viewers.
“So fingers crossed on everything and particularly one kidney looking really good, just need to look at the other one, and so yeah, he’s still in (a) high dependency (unit).”
What is sepsis?
Sepsis occurs when the body overreacts to an infection and starts to damage the body’s own tissues and organs.
It can be deadly and is notoriously hard to spot due to the vagueness of the symptoms, which can be like flu or having a chest infection, according to the NHS.
You cannot catch sepsis, also known as septicaemia or blood poisoning, from another person.
Can sepsis be treated?
Treatment for sepsis varies, depending on the area affected, the cause of the infection, organs affected and the extent of any damage. Intensive care may be needed for those whose breathing is badly impacted by sepsis.
Treatments include giving antibiotics, or antiviral medication if sepsis has been caused by a virus. Sufferers can also be given intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and kidney failure, and they may also need oxygen.
Mechanical ventilation may be applied to a patient if breathing is seriously impeded, along with dialysis if the kidneys are impacted. Sepsis is treatable if it's identified and treated quickly. In most cases it leads to full recovery with no lasting problems, according to NHS Inform Scotland.
What are sepsis symptoms?
The NHS says the following symptoms in an adult or child are an indication that 999 should be rung or the person rushed to A&E:
- acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
There are extra symptoms to watch for in babies and young children:
- a weak, high-pitched cry that's not like their normal cry
- not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake
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