Arden had been readmitted just before Christmas to the heme/onc floor for fever and a low white blood cell count- known in our world as 'fever/neutropenia.' As she couldn't fight the infection by herself after the latest round of chemo, she was being given big gun IV antibiotics and fluid support.
To Arden's parents, or any of our parents that have been around the block a few times, fever/neutropenia is a fairly routine hospital admission. Stay in for awhile, get some antibiotics, start feeling better, bada-bing, home in a few days. Almost a fourth of the kids on our floor, at any given time, are probably in for fever/neutropenia. Some kids get it routinely in between chemotherapy administrations. Some kids never get admitted for it. I wish I knew why.
A routine admission~ except when a child gets septic.
Sepsis happens when a patient's bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria. The patient can get extreme fever, shaking chills, lightheadedness or confusion, a rapid heart beat to attempt to increase their blood pressure, hyperventilation to compensate for a change in their blood pH, and other symptoms.
Sepsis is a bad deal. Fortunately, it can usually be overcome with quick administration of large amounts of fluid, and antibiotics.
But not always.
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