This is very depressing news, and a bit frightening. The Brazilian model, Mariana Bridi da Costa, died early this morning, after a hard battle with blood poisoning, otherwise known as septicemia. She was 20 years old.
She had originally gone to the doctor complaining of pain and was diagnosed with an urinary tract infection. She later went to hospital in severe pain and a bacterial infection had led to septicemia. Septicemia had then stopped oxygen from reaching her entire body which caused the amputation of her hands and feet, as well as the loss of her kidneys and much of her stomach.
What exactly is septicemia?
It's a bacterial infection (that is often in response to a different infection) of the blood that progresses rapidly, if not treated immediately. It can happen as a secondary condition to something else (appendicitis,post-surgery, meningitis or drug dependence to name a few).
Immediate symptoms include pin marks on the skin that grow to look like bruises, fever, skin rashes, lack of appetite, a feeling that one may die (impending doom), confusion and distress, cold hands and feet and previous but recent surgery or other infection .
It is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and if not caught early, the death rate of sufferers can be 50%.
As in Miss Brindi da Costa's case, the advancement of the condition is very rapid. A month ago she was working hard at her modeling assignments and feeling well. What should have been a simple urinary tract infection then snowballed into a deadly condition. And due to the speed of septicemia, her amputations became necessary. Septicemia can quickly cause septic shock, and a lack of oxygen to organs, since the main function of blood is to carry oxygen and nutrients throughout our body to keep us alive.
Could Mariana Bridi da Costa's death be prevented? It's difficult to say and unknown at this time. She did seek medical help soon after feeling ill - but septicemia is so rapid in it's spread that by the time it's discovered, it is sometimes too late.
If anyone is feeling unwell, and has any of the symptoms of septicemia listed above, they should seek medical attention immediately.
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