Doctor explains common misconception about sepsis following Kyle Busch's death aged 41
A doctor has explained a common misconception about sepsis after NASCAR driver Kyle Busch died at the age of 41 last Thursday.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, was hospitalised with what was described as a 'severe illness' on Thursday morning.
Hours later, it was announced that he had passed away, with his cause of death later being confirmed as 'severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis'.
READ MORE: Kyle Busch cause of death revealed as severe pneumonia, sepsis as family issue statement
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Busch had asked for a doctor immediately after completing a NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on May 10.
He competed in and won a Craftsman Truck Series race on May 15 - the final race before his death - before explaining to motorsport reporter Jeff Gluck that he had been suffering from a 'substantial' cough.
The Associated Press reported that Busch had been found unresponsive at a Chevrolet racing simulator facility last Thursday before being transported to hospital.
Tributes were paid to Busch at NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 - the race he was originally listed to participate in last weekend before he withdrew on Thursday morning - and the Indianapolis 500.
His Cup Series team, Richard Childress Racing, have suspended use of his No. 8 car for the rest of the season, with Busch's replacement Austin Hill driving the No. 33 instead.
Doctors explains sepsis symptoms and says awareness is 'surprisingly low'
In an article for CNN, urologist and robotic surgeon Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt explained how sepsis is 'more common and more unpredictable than people realise', and how the infection develops.
"Public awareness remains surprisingly low," he wrote. "Many people still do not recognize the systems or realize that common infections can trigger it.
"Pneumonia isn't the only infection that can lead to sepsis.
"A skin infection that keeps spreading and raises your heart rate. A urinary tract infection that suddenly lowers your blood pressure. An infected kidney stone that raises your temperature - these are not just infections anymore. They could be sepsis.
"Busch's death has put the spotlight on pneumonia, but it is only one possible cause of sepsis."
Brahmbhatt added that, even in the event of successful and timely treatment, sepsis can still have a lasting impact on some patients.
"Even when treatment works, sepsis can leave a mark," he notes. "One thing that surprises many patients and families is that sepsis can have a long tail.
"Many people recover fully. But up to half of survivors experience what is called post-sepsis syndrome: fatigue, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and repeat infections that can last for months and years.
"Survivors are also at higher risk for new heart and kidney problems in the future, according to the CDC [US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention].
"This is why catching sepsis early matters - not just for surviving it but for what comes after. In medicine, we see it every day: patients who do best long-term are the ones that get treated fast."
Topics: Motorsport
Ryan Smart