Sepsis Can Cause Dangerous Complications says Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyer Steven Peck

Written by Adam Peck Category: Nursing Homes January 23rd, 2013 2 min read

Having a simple blood test could prevent the dangerous complications associated with a medical condition called sepsis.

“Sepsis is really the body’s response to severe infection,” says California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven Peck. “There’s inflammatory activity in the cells trying to fight the infection, but in some ways, it’s thought that the body turns upon itself.”

Also called “blood poisoning,” sepsis kills 215,000 Americans every year, according to the Sepsis Alliance. Those lucky enough to survive can face organ failure and lost limbs.

“Sometimes it can move very quickly, sometimes minutes to hours, and so catching it early, your window of easy treatment can be very narrow,” says Elder Abuse Lawyer Peck.

Commonly, sepsis is diagnosed only after symptoms start to show, but thanks to a new blood test, sepsis can be detected earlier Peck says.

The test measures a protein which can be found in the blood called pro calcitonin. It measures the levels of pro calcitonin, normally not present in a healthy individual. The higher the levels of pro calcitonin, the greater the risk of patients going to progress to severe sepsis or septic shock.

Using the pro calcitonin test, doctors can easily locate the protein in the blood, catching sepsis before it’s too late.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.