Markus Süllau Survival: Escaping Death

Leipzig. It started as a intestinal infection, it ended in the intensive care unit. Markus Süllau has had a nightmare and only now, after weeks of the serious illness, see light again at the end of the tunnel. The 33-year-old suffered a septic shock, the most difficult form of infection; 40 to 50 percent of cases are fatal. The life of the Leipziger hung on the silk thread, it was in a coma. He has been the worst, but he is far from being healthy. Sepsis and their consequences often have a very long time to do.

Sepsis, colloquially referred to as blood poisoning, is a very difficult infection. If left untreated, almost all those affected die. “Time is extremely important,” describes Professor Sirak Petros, the decisive role of early detection. He is head of interdisciplinary internal intensive care medicine at the University Hospital Leipzig (UKL). And it belongs to Markus Süllau’s practitioner team. Older people over 60 or previous ill people are particularly affected. “But it can also hit a young, healthy person,” explains Petros.

Artificially ventilated for days

Just like Markus Süllau. His wife has that September 5th in a terrible memory. The diarrhea and the vomiting of her partner simply never ended. He was getting weaker and weaker; In the end, the ambulance had to take it with them. At the UKL, his patient arrived with a high fever, circulatory collapse and poor kidney values, Petros recalls. In addition, there was an ever worse lung function; He was artificially ventilated for several days.

In this case, a severe intestinal infection was triggered by sepsis. Most of the time, pneumonia is the cause, as Sirak Petros explains. The diagnosis and the exact determination of the germ is often quite demanding, because in many cases it is not recognizable in the blood. Ideally, treatment with the right antibiotic can start quickly. In the event of suspicion of sepsis, the start of treatment is within an hour, according to the expert.

When the organs fail

“What we call sepsis actually describes the process of how our body reacts against the infection.” The doctor explains this: “If an evil person beats you – how do you defend yourself? Do you intared? Or are you a hot -blooded person who blindly runs on your opponent with all your might? Do you run away? This is also the case with an infection: “Some bodies react too violently to it or too little – and harm themselves. In between, there are many targeted and ordered reactions from which no sepsis takes place.”

If the body reacts incorrectly, organs can be damaged; The patient then suffers, for example, lung or kidney failure. In the case of sepsis sufferers, there is always at least one organ that no longer works properly.

Caution in the event of unclear fever

At Markus Süllau, the kidneys in particular failed. He is still dependent on dialysis. But Sirak Petros is in good spirits that the organs will work again sooner or later. But even then it takes up to a year before the computer scientist is halfway the old one again. The functionality of the poor and legs is also still severely restricted because the body in bed does about a kilo of muscle mass every day. There is simply a lack of strength.

In general, the following applies: if the fever is unclear and in the case of shortness of breath or pain, for which there is no plausible explanation, you should rather see a doctor as soon as possible. If you also have an immune deficiency, you should lose even less time. “If you treat the infection in good time, there is a chance to prevent the failure of body organs,” says Petros.

Responsible for many deaths

Sepsis often does not appear in the statistics of the deadliest diseases. Because: As a rule, it is considered a result of an underlying infection or illness. Only the causal basic disorders flows into the cause of death statistics. In fact, it is assumed that in 2021 20 percent of global deaths were associated with sepsis.

Germany does not cut a good figure with a view to successful treatment in an international comparison: significantly more people die from sepsis in the Federal Republic than in Australia, Norway, Finland, Switzerland or Denmark. The corresponding death rate has been stagnating in Germany for decades, while it has decreased in comparable countries.

Digital project is intended to improve diagnostics

The nationwide “DigiSep” project is intended to improve the chances of survival through digital support for difficult diagnostics. The UKL is also one of the 24 hospitals involved nationwide.

The previous findings show that, in contrast to conventional procedures, digital methods determine the pathogen four times more often at the beginning of the Sepsis. Three days after sepsis, the new process even finds the right pathogen ten times more often. In addition to the important time gain, the analyzed germ can be fought more specifically and thus gentle, explains Sirak Petros. “If the procedure continues to have proven itself, the regular care should come quickly,” says Barmer state manager Monika Welfens; The health insurance also supports “DigiSep”.

Hope for rehabilitation

Markus Süllau is now on the way of improvement. The UKL team fully supported him: “It is all very nice and friendly.” Now the 33-year-old hopes that it will soon go to rehab. So that he can leave one of the most dramatic chapters of his life a little further.

LVZ