Latest news with #ICU
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I nearly DIED after developing toxic shock syndrome... here are the symptoms I overlooked
At only 15, Shannon Turner suffered a near-deadly case of toxic shock syndrome, which was so severe she was given a 50 percent chance of survival - all from using a tampon. Now, she has laid bare the horrifying ordeal exclusively with the Daily Mail. 'It put me in a coma and nearly took my life - I hadn't even had my period for a full year yet,' Shannon, who was on a family vacation at the time, explained. Shannon revealed she began to feel ill in the evening after she landed, but she assumed it was just jet lag and tried to sleep it off. But she woke up the next day with extreme symptoms, including: vomiting, diarrhea, a fever, and fatigue. 'I was brought to the doctor that afternoon, given a shot for nausea, and sent home,' she continued. 'I continued to deteriorate and was brought back to the doctor later that same day.' 'My last memory is collapsing in the office and laying on the ground because it hurt too much to sit up,' she recalled. 'My heart rate was extremely high, my blood pressure was dangerously low, and I was rushed to the ICU. I didn't wake up until a few days later.' Toxic Shock Syndrome is a 'rare complication of certain types of bacterial infections,' according to MayoClinic. 'It can be fatal. 'Risk factors for toxic shock syndrome include skin wounds, surgery, and the use of tampons and other devices, such as menstrual cups and birth control sponges or diaphragms.' While Shannon was unconscious, doctors worked furiously to diagnose her - initially misdiagnosing her with meningitis and nearly performed an unnecessary spinal tap. 'Thankfully, my mom mentioned to a family member that I was on my period - and that's when menstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS) was suggested,' she shared. 'The doctors were informed and my treatment plan shifted. I was incredibly lucky the infectious disease doctor on call had studied toxic shock and knew exactly what to do, but because mTSS progresses so quickly, I was still given a 50/50 chance of survival.' She explained that after the doctors saved her life, she was sent home with 'little guidance' on what to expect during recovery, or how long her symptoms would last - and the aftermath was brutal. 'My hospital stay was only a few days, but the recovery afterward took much longer,' Shannon said. 'I dealt with memory loss, anxiety, attention issues, and depression. My periods also became extremely painful. 'From the age of 15, I was put on prescription painkillers to manage my menstrual pain.' Her experience led to her starting her nonprofit, Protect Her Inc., which is dedicated to 'revolutionizing menstrual health education.' 'We believe knowledge is power - and yet, so many people are navigating their cycles with almost none,' she pointed out. 'I began to see why [there were no recourses], because periods have been taboo for far too long. It's the same reason I never talked about my experience with mTSS, and that silence was incredibly isolating.' Now, over 15 years later, Shannon regularly shares tips on how to avoid the life-threatening situation happening to other people - as well as the symptoms she ignored. 'My message to anyone using tampons is: use the lowest absorbency possible. Your tampon should be saturated when you remove it - if your flow is light, opt for a liner instead,' she listed. She also advises against using tampons overnight, noting if you begin to get sick you won't notice the symptoms if you're asleep. 'We need to stay aware of what our bodies are telling us - especially when there's a foreign object inside us,' she pointed out. Shannon added it's important to learn about the brands of sanitary products you're using, and make sure you're comfortable with their ingredients and manufacturing standards. 'Most importantly, be in tune with your body. It's always communicating with us, if we take the time to listen,' she urged. Shannon also advises people to immediately take a tampon out if they start feeling sick - describing the symptoms as flu-like. 'So [if you experience] headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever - take the tampon out,' she insisted. 'If you feel even worse go seek medical attention.' Shannon now hopes to educate young women through her non-profit, Protect Her Inc, which provides comprehensive menstrual education to adolescents aged seven to 18, with 'a focus on practical knowledge that fosters confidence, health literacy, and open dialogue.' According to National Library of Medicine, studies have shown the risk of mTSS was higher in young women who used tampons, than in women who used menstrual pads. They noted everyone should be aware of the symptoms of mTSS, which are early flu-like symptoms near or during menstruation, including acute onset of fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and progressive dizziness upon standing, and said people should should seek immediate medical attention if experiencing these symptoms.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I died after giving birth...The vision I had before doctors saved me shook my faith in the afterlife
Samantha had an uneventful pregnancy and delivery eight months ago, so it shocked everyone when she had a life-threatening complication four weeks later. In October 2024, a month after welcoming her baby, Zuma, she began to bleed profusely, eventually losing four liters of blood, almost everything in her body. As doctors rushed to save her life, her eyes closed, and everything faded to black. She could feel herself dying. 'It was silent and dark, and I was just simply at peace,' she said. 'I didn't feel anything, and in my mind, I knew that I was dying, but I wasn't scared. It felt like I was just going to sleep.' In that moment, she didn't see the tunnel of light or deceased loved ones she was expecting, but she felt an immense peace take over. Doctors found that Samantha had a pseudoaneurysm – a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel, which, given the proximity to her C-section, was considered a delayed postpartum hemorrhage - or excessive bleeding after birth. Samantha spent a week in the ICU following the emergency, missing some of the early days of her daughter's life as she slowly recovered from the ordeal. 'Once I was aware enough to realize that I was in the ICU, and that my daughter wasn't with me, it was so sad,' she said: 'She was only four weeks old and we both needed each other – we were still in the new mommy/baby phase and we were bonding. I just wanted to see her and hold her.' Samantha's pregnancy and most of her labor had gone smoothly, but an emergency C-section was needed when her baby's heart rate dropped. Although she experienced minor bleeding after the surgery, she recovered well. However, four weeks later — the morning after she and her husband marked the anniversary of their first date — she woke up in a terrifying condition. She said: 'I woke up at 5am to a wet, gushing feeling. I looked down and was absolutely covered in blood. My shorts and legs were soaked, and the blood had also soaked through my sheets, mattress topper, and mattress. 'Because I had already hemorrhaged in the hospital, I knew what was happening. This time was just so much worse.' At the hospital, doctors rushed her into surgery and administered multiple blood transfusions while she fell in and out of consciousness. 'Apparently, at some point, the bleeding got worse and I began to crash,' she said. 'My pulse dropped down to 52, my hemoglobin level dropped to a three, a crash cart was brought out, and I just knew that I was dying. 'In an awake state during this, I shouted out to my husband that I loved him more than anything and to take care of our new baby.' That was the moment she felt her life slipping away. While Samantha was unconscious, doctors rushed her into surgery. They found a blockage and weakened blood vessel (an aneurysm) in her right uterine artery, which was causing the bleeding. To stop it, they performed a procedure called a Bilateral Uterine Artery Embolisation — where the blood supply to the uterus is deliberately reduced — using an absorbable sponge to block the artery, like a temporary cork. A surgeon was kept on standby in case an emergency hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) was needed, something Samantha and her husband, Louie, hoped to avoid to preserve their chance of having more children. The four-hour surgery worked, but Samantha spent a week in intensive care, missing some of her baby's early days as she recovered. 'Once I was aware enough to realize that I was in the ICU, and that my daughter wasn't with me, it was so sad,' she added. 'I kept asking my husband to bring her to see me, but we decided together that she shouldn't be coming to the ICU around all those germs. Coming home was the best feeling ever.' Samantha described the lasting trauma she experienced after the ordeal, saying she struggled with severe PTSD. For months, she barely ate or slept, was plagued by nightmares, and felt anxious about being too far from the hospital in case she started bleeding again. She cried daily, suffered frequent panic and anxiety attacks, and constantly checked for signs of bleeding, sometimes even feeling phantom sensations. In the months that followed, she underwent several scans to ensure no new aneurysms had developed, and after six months, her blood count finally returned to normal. Still, the experience left her fearful about the risks of future pregnancies and whether something similar could happen again. 'I want more babies, and because my case was so rare, I don't really have answers,' she said. 'Could this happen to me again? Yes. Could this happen during a future pregnancy? Yes. Was this aneurysm brought on because of my pregnancy? Nobody knows.' A hemorrhage is relatively rare, affecting 0.2 percent to 2.5 percent of postpartum women. After all she has been through, the artist has a whole new appreciation for life that she is taking with her into the future. 'I know it is so cliché, but this gave me a new perspective on life. I feel like I am a lot more chill, and things really don't bother me as much, because I know what could have been,' she said. 'So what if I'm stuck in traffic or if my phone dies – I'm alive!'
Medscape
8 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
ICU Skin Decolonisation May Raise Resistant Infections
Universal skin decolonisation of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) may not improve infection control. New research led by the University of Aberdeen indicated that it might increase meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) bloodstream infections in vulnerable patients. Hospital-associated infections cause significant morbidity and mortality, with critically ill patients in ICUs at particularly high risk. Surveillance figures from English ICUs show an ICU-associated bloodstream infection rate of 3.5 per 1000 bed-days for stays of two nights or more in the year to March 2024. Over 25% of patients with these infections die within 30 days. Reasons for the increased infection rate in ICUs include high antibiotic use leading to significant skin flora colonisation by resistant bacteria. Invasive procedures including indwelling catheters and the insertion of intravascular devices are independently associated with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation and infection. Need for a New Infection Control Approach Decolonisation protocols were introduced in the 1990s to curb rising nosocomial MRSA infections due to MRSA. Nationwide infection control programmes since the mid-2000s led to sharp declines in MRSA rates in NHS hospitals over the next decade. One UK-wide study in ICU patients between 2007 and 2016 showed a 78% decrease in bloodstream infections overall and a 97% reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections. However, data from the National Institute for Health and Care Research show this decline plateaued after 2012. Rates have subsequently been largely static, suggesting the need for a new approach. Routine ICU decolonisation typically involves chlorhexidine skin disinfection combined with nasal mupirocin. The Aberdeen team noted conflicting evidence on chlorhexidine's effectiveness. They also raised concerns that biocide skin and mucous membrane decolonisation might lead to reduced susceptibility to chlorhexidine and selection for multidrug-resistant pathogens. Study Compares Universal and Targeted Decolonisation The researchers compared universal versus targeted skin and nasal decolonisation in ICU patients at two Scottish hospitals in adjacent health boards with different protocols. The study included patients aged 16 years and over admitted between 1 July 2009 and 28 Feb 2022. One hospital switched from universal decolonisation of all admissions to targeting only MRSA carriers from 1 February 2019. The other hospital used targeted decolonisation throughout. The researchers analysed rates of S. epidermidis bloodstream infections and tested MRSE and chlorhexidine susceptibility. Results Show Benefits in Reducing Resistant Infections The results, published in The Lancet Microbe , showed that S epidermidis was identified in 334 (45%) of 735 bloodstream infections in the hospital that de-escalated decolonisation. Of these, 197 occurred before de-escalation. Overall, bloodstream infection rates did not increase after de-escalation. However, MRSE infections declined significantly after the switch – from 10.4 to 4.3 cases per 1000 occupied bed days. The probability of MRSE among infections fell from 89.2% to 56.7%. By contrast, the control hospital reported 167 (60%) S. epidermidis bloodstream infections among 278 total, with no significant changes in infection rates or MRSE incidence. Genetic analyses revealed de-escalation was linked to fewer bloodstream infections caused by multidrug-resistant S. epidermidis strains. There was reduced carriage of mobile genetic elements and genes related to multidrug resistance and biofilm production. Balancing Benefits and Risks "In ICU settings with low MRSA incidence, the benefits of universal decolonisation should be balanced against the risks of selecting MRSE sequence types adapted for invasive and device-associated infection," the researchers concluded. Professor Karolin Hijazi, chair in oral and maxillofacial medicine at the University of Aberdeen and study lead, commented in a press release: "This research essentially demonstrates that the excess use of disinfectants in universal decolonisation offered no advantage in terms of control of serious blood infections in a low MRSA ICU setting, but instead caused the unintended rise of MRSE bloodstream infections." Implications for Infection Control Policy The authors recommended that hospitals consider the "unintended harms of universal decolonisation", especially given the global rise of antimicrobial resistance. Hijazi added that such practices increase resistance risks and costs without added benefit in low-MRSA settings. The findings should inform standardised national guidelines for effective and safe patient decolonisation, in line with the government's 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance, the researchers said. They described the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance as a 'silent pandemic' and stressed that reducing unnecessary decolonisation could help contain resistance and reduce costs.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Malaysia records first Covid death of 2025
Malaysia saw its first Covid death of 2025 earlier this month, health authorities said. The health ministry noted that this was the first Covid fatality since 26 May last year. The deceased had heart disease and diabetes and hadn't taken a second booster shot. 'This marks a significant decline compared to 57 Covid deaths reported in 2024, with the last fatality recorded on May 26 last year,' the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. From January to 15 June this year, Malaysia recorded 21,738 cumulative Covid cases, with the weekly average holding at about 900, The Rakyat Post reported. The ministry reported a sharp 68 per cent week-on-week increase with 3,379 cases from 8 to 15 June compared to 2,011 the week prior. Despite the rise, the ministry stressed the national situation remained stable and well below the alert threshold. At least six individuals with underlying health conditions had been admitted to ICU. 'All cases were closely monitored with care, with all patients discharged from the ICUs. Four were allowed to return home, with two transferred to normal wards,' the ministry said. The new Nimbus Covid strain (NB.1.8.1) is rapidly spreading around the world and is being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation. This strain is linked to a rise in infections in several parts of Asia, including India, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore. First recognised in January 2025, NB.1.8.1, an omicron variant, is now the dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. It has also spread to the US and Australia. ' SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics,' a WHO spokesperson said earlier. 'At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected.' By late April, NB.1.8.1 comprised about 10.7 per cent of submitted sequences globally, according to the WHO, up from just 2.5 per cent a month before. The WHO has designated Nimbus as a Variant Under Monitoring. Preliminary data suggests that Nimbus spreads more rapidly than earlier variants. Reported symptoms commonly include a sharp, razor-like sore throat, fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. However, the public health risk posed by this variant is evaluated as low at the global level. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data don't indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' the WHO said. Although it may not be particularly severe, Nimbus may infect people more easily than earlier variants. There's some evidence that the variant binds more tightly to human cells. The ministry of health urged all Malaysians to stay protected by adhering to the recommended vaccination schedules outlined in the National Immunisation Programme.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Malaysia reports first Covid-19 fatality this year involving high-risk patient, says Health Ministry
PUTRAJAYA, June 19 — Malaysia recorded its first Covid-19 death this year in the 24th epidemiological week of 2025 (ME 24/2025), involving an individual with serious comorbidities and no second booster dose, the Health Ministry (MoH) said today. In a statement, the ministry said the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases nationwide stands at 21,738, with weekly averages holding steady at around 900 cases. However, ME 24/2025 saw a slight increase to 3,379 cases — up 14 per cent from 2,011 cases the previous week. 'Despite the uptick, the overall Covid-19 situation in the country remains under control and well below the national alert threshold,' said the ministry, crediting continuous surveillance and public health interventions. The lone fatality reported this year marks a sharp decline from the 57 Covid-related deaths recorded in 2024. The last death prior to this occurred on May 26, 2024. The latest victim was reportedly living with heart disease and diabetes and had not received a second booster dose. In the same week, six Covid-19 patients were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). All were vulnerable individuals with existing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dyslipidaemia, and Down syndrome. 'All six patients received critical care under the supervision of health professionals and have since been discharged from the ICU — four have returned home, while two were transferred to general wards,' the ministry said.
