A Maryland mother who lost her son to sepsis is now fighting for strengthened protocols in hospitals as the cruel disease continues to kill an American every 90 seconds.
Lochlin DeSantis was just five years old in January 2020 when he came down with the flu. But what is usually a relatively harmless illness has transformed into a much more sinister illness.
Two days after his sore throat and fever appeared, he became unable to walk – moving his legs was strangely extremely painful.
Just a day later, Lochlin began to lose consciousness, leading to a frantic rush to the local hospital.
Sadly, Lochlin – who his mother described as an “old soul” – died within 12 hours.
Brooke DeSantis described her son, Lochlin (middle) as an “old soul” who loved giving food to the homeless and aspired to volunteer.
Lochlin caught the flu on a Friday and quickly got worse. On Monday, he suffered organ failure and died at just five years old.
The little boy’s body was attacked by sepsis, an extreme immune system overreaction that is responsible for one in three hospital deaths and has been dubbed a “silent killer.”
“Now my mission is to make sure people have access to anything and everything to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and keep their families safe,” said Lochlin’s mother, Brooke DeSantis, a registered nurse. , at DailyMail.com.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that with ours.”
Sepsis is a medical emergency caused by an extreme reaction of the body to an infection. This happens when chemicals released into the bloodstream cause the immune system to malfunction.
Instead of sending infection-fighting white blood cells to attack a foreign invader, it targets healthy tissues and organs such as the limbs, lungs and kidneys.
Infections that lead to sepsis most often begin in the skin, urinary or respiratory tract, lungs, or digestive system, but almost any infection can lead to sepsis—starting with injuries as harmless as cuts on the skin. paper.
According to the charity Sepsis Alliance, half of all cases come from an unknown pathogen.
“He loved football and his family, his friends, hockey. He was one of the nicest kids I’ve ever met,” Lochlin’s mother, Brooke DeSantis, told DailyMail.com.
Ms. DeSantis is now working to raise awareness about sepsis and increase access to vaccines like the flu shot to prevent the disease.
Ms. DeSantis said that although Lochlin’s urgent care doctor assured her that her symptoms were normal for the flu, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind gave her pause.
“Even though I felt like I shouldn’t have listened to (the doctor’s) advice, I trusted him. I was confident that I should just go home,” she said. “And that’s exactly what I did. He was a better licensed medical professional than me, so I followed his advice as he said and I took Lochlin home.
“And it was probably the worst thing that could have happened.”
Sepsis affects 1.7 million Americans each year, according to the CDC.
Every year, 350,000 Americans die from sepsis, or one every 90 seconds.
Sepsis Alliance estimates that 75,000 American children develop sepsis each year, or about 200 per day. This represents more than 5,000 deaths, or 18 every day.
It is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, according to Sepsis Alliance, and is responsible for 35 percent of hospital deaths. However, 34% of Americans have never heard of it.
Certain groups are more susceptible to this disease, including adults over 65, children under 1 year of age, patients with weakened immune systems, and those who have had sepsis in the past. However, anyone can get it.
There is no single test, but doctors look for signs of infection using measures such as blood tests. Sepsis can progress to septic shock, characterized by a significant drop in blood pressure.
According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of septic shock include inability to get out of bed, extreme fatigue or inability to stay awake, and a major change in mental status.
The signs of sepsis are very similar to those of the flu, making early detection extremely difficult.
Data from JAMA and the CDC found that sepsis is on the rise and most U.S. hospitals do not have a dedicated protocol.
For every hour treatment is delayed, the risk of death increases by four to nine percent.
Ms. DeSantis said many of these deaths could be because few doctors recognize the symptoms, which can look a lot like the flu. This makes its early detection extremely difficult.
“It’s changing so quickly, and that’s the problem,” she said. “Lochlin was tested for the flu, and he came back positive, but the main reason he was there was because they didn’t touch it. That’s like sending the patient away and not treat him for the reason he was there.
“And with that, a lot of doctors, because they have to see so many patients in a given time frame, rush through patients and miss the real signs they should be looking for.”
“That’s where I wanted to see this change, not just for one location or one hospital but for the entire state, because when you come in as a patient or a loved one caring for a patient, you want to see that all the answers are there.’
Sepsis Alliance also found that cases are increasing, which could be due in part to a lack of cohesion in care.
The United States does not have a national sepsis protocol, and 2023 CDC data reveals that more than 1,400 hospitals – about a quarter – in the United States do not have a sepsis program. .
“Doctors don’t have enough information to help them diagnose sepsis,” Dr. Steven Simpson, professor of medicine at the University of Kansas and president of the Sepsis Alliance, previously told DailyMail.com.
“There is no catchy phrase to help doctors and hospitals pay attention to it, as they have in other countries.
“Every hospital in the country should have a sepsis committee, a sepsis quality improvement program, and organize their facilities so that they are ready to detect and treat sepsis. Currently, this is absolutely not the case.
After Lochlin’s death, Ms. DeSantis and her husband, William, established the charity Love for Lochlin, which aims to raise awareness and educate health professionals and community members about sepsis.
One of his biggest victories was the passage of the Lochlin Act in Maryland. According to the legislation, beginning January 1, 2025, every hospital and urgent care center in the state will be required to “implement an evidence-based protocol for the early recognition and treatment of a patient with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock that is based on generally acceptable standards of care.
It will also “require that a specialized psychiatric hospital put in place a certain process; and require hospitals and urgent care centers to require periodic training in implementing the protocol for certain staff.
Ms. DeSantis and her husband, William, launched Love for Lochlin, which raises awareness of sepsis and educates community members and doctors.
“It’s about seeing that they have access to what we couldn’t get for our son,” Ms. DeSantis said. “Every person we help, this is how Lochlin’s love and memory lives on with us all”
“So if a patient comes in and their vital signs are out of range two out of three, they will automatically have to do additional testing to rule out sepsis,” Ms. DeSantis said.
“Or to ensure that if they have it, they are immediately transported to the hospital, not themselves, but a medical unit that transfers them there.”
Lochlin’s Law will be signed by Maryland Governor Wes Moore on May 16 and will take effect on October 1.
Ms. DeSantis noted that the legislation is the first of its kind, as some other state regulations, such as New York’s Rory regulations, only affect hospitals and adult patients.
Lochlin’s law will include hospitals, urgent care and specialized care facilities like nursing homes and drug treatment facilities. This also applies to children.
Love for Lochlin is also working to increase access to flu vaccines to prevent the disease from progressing to sepsis.
“It’s about seeing that they have access to what we couldn’t get for our son,” Ms. DeSantis said. “Every person we help, this is how Lochlin’s love and his memory lives on with us all.”
“It’s a village that’s struggling right now, not just us.”
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