Rosie Beveridge become ill while on holiday in New Zealand. Photo / @rosiebev
Rosie Beveridge become ill while on holiday in New Zealand. Photo / @rosiebev
A British tourist says a routine urinary tract infection almost killed her after it developed into sepsis while visiting New Zealand.
Rosie Beveridge spent four nights in hospital after what began as a mild infection spiralled into a life-threatening condition.
“I remember being wheeled through the ICU as I vomitedinto a bowl,” wrote Beveridge in the Daily Mail. “Then being on a bed with the nurse struggling to get a drip into my arm. I was shaking so badly that two people had to hold me down to do it.”
Beveridge said she first felt unwell on a Thursday and by the weekend was unable to walk because of the pain. She was admitted to hospital on Monday and diagnosed with sepsis, a condition she now says she was lucky to survive.
“I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I now know that I have survived a life-threatening condition that kills 48,000 people in the UK each year. That’s more than breast, bowel and prostate cancers combined,” she wrote.
Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection and begins attacking its own tissues and organs. According to Sepsis New Zealand, symptoms can include fever, shivering, muscle pain, rapid breathing and an elevated heart rate. If untreated, it can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death.
Sepsis signs to watch for. Photo / Sepsis NZ
The Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora estimates that up to one in 100 New Zealanders develops sepsis every year — more than 50,000 people. Urinary tract infections are among the common causes.
Sepsis New Zealand CEO Ally Hossain said she could not comment on Beveridge’s medical case, but her experience showed how serious the condition could be.
“Sepsis accounts for 1-2% of acute hospital admissions in this country. Around one in five of these cases leads to an intensive care or high dependency unit admission.”
An extreme or toxic reaction to an infection could lead to organ failure and death if not treated quickly, she said.
Beveridge said she cried when reflecting on her experience.
“I was filled with a rushing sense of gratitude for ... the doctors in New Zealand who knew how to spot the signs ... without them, one of those tragic news stories might well have been me.”
