Miller resident Kenneth Edgington beat the odds. He survived after being treated last February for both pneumonia and sepsis at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. Sepsis is a dangerous condition related to infection and can be fatal.
Edgington, 52, a steelworker and husband and father of two, says he had heard of sepsis, but was unaware of its seriousness.
“I’ve never had pneumonia before,” he says. “I didn’t have any idea that pneumonia could lead to sepsis. I never had any idea you could die from sepsis. I’m grateful to the staff for their diligence in diagnosing and treating what was wrong with me.”
Edgington had suffered for several days from mild flu-like symptoms, but then developed severe muscle aches and shortness of breath.
“What got my attention besides shortness of breath was the severe muscle pain,” he says. “Usually I can get through a sore throat or runny nose but, the muscle pain was so bad I could barely walk. If it weren’t for the muscle pain, I never would have come in.”
He visited the Emergency department at St. Mary Medical Center, where doctors ran multiple tests to check for pneumonia and septic shock. Sepsis can occur when infections produce an immune response in the bloodstream that triggers dangerous inflammation throughout the organs and tissues.
Testing revealed Edgington had both conditions.
“He was a pretty sick man,” says Edgington’s physician, B. Chhabra, MD, family care practitioner on staff at St. Mary Medical Center. “We admitted him treated him very aggressively with two IV antibiotics and he responded very well and subsequently was sent home three days later. Three days is a pretty good response time.”
“Early detection is the key,” Chhabra says. “Early detection and aggressive treatment can make a substantive difference. The complication and mortality rates are pretty high if you do not come up with a diagnosis as soon as possible.”
If you are experiencing symptoms of pneumonia or sepsis, visit one of Community Healthcare System’s Immediate Care locations for an examination. Or visit the Emergency Department at Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago or St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. For a complete list of locations, visit us online at comhs.org/locations.
