By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter
    Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter
    November 15, 2022
    back pain issues
    Ways to Treat Constant Back Pain
    August 21, 2023
    Latest News
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    More On Wellness Programs To Improve Health and Reduce Costs
    January 25, 2012
    Privatizing Social Security and Medicare: Who Can Defuse Political Dynamite?
    June 12, 2011
    Study: Risk of Death in Elderly Patients with Dementia Doubled with Some Antipsychotic Medications
    February 26, 2012
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Streptococcal Sepsis: Rare But Dangerous
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > News > Streptococcal Sepsis: Rare But Dangerous
News

Streptococcal Sepsis: Rare But Dangerous

Thomas Pane
Thomas Pane
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

The tragic story of Rory Staunton received national attention, as well as scrutiny on physician-only discussion boards.  To recap, this otherwise healthy 12 yr-old suffered a seemingly innocent arm scrape playing basketball.  He soon felt ill and was seen the next day by his pediatrician, who referred him to the ED.  There he was rehydrated and discharged.  He did not improve.  When he returned, now gravel

The tragic story of Rory Staunton received national attention, as well as scrutiny on physician-only discussion boards.  To recap, this otherwise healthy 12 yr-old suffered a seemingly innocent arm scrape playing basketball.  He soon felt ill and was seen the next day by his pediatrician, who referred him to the ED.  There he was rehydrated and discharged.  He did not improve.  When he returned, now gravely ill, he was hospitalized but succumbed to sepsis.

This is a tragic and unsettling story for several reasons.  Simply put, we live in a world of bacteria.  Any time a small injury occurs; there is a very small but real chance of a serious infection developing, should the body’s initial immune-system defenders fail in their job.

The bacteria at issue here were once far more feared.  In the pre-antibiotic era, this infection was very often lethal.  It was staphylococcal sepsis that in 1924 killed Calvin Coolidge Jr., son of the then-President.  Today in otherwise healthy people, it is very treatable, except in unusual circumstances.

More Read

RNA vaccines
RNA Vaccine Revolution Creates Huge Opportunity for Biotech Investors
#SXSW 2013: Top 10 Healthcare Takeaways
Costs of Care Essay Contest 2012: Stories from Patients and their Caregivers Uncover Opportunities to Improve Healthcare Value
No Savings from Raising Medicare Age
Smart Phone Attachment Takes Quick Eye Exam

As a disclaimer, Monday morning quarterbacking is not science.  Any commentary by those who did not directly participate in the events is speculative and based only upon whatever information is publicly available.

From the coverage and board discussion of the events, it appeared that when the child presented to the pediatrician, he was felt to have dehydration and gastrointestinal distress.  That seems a reasonable initial impression.  After all, hoofbeats usually mean a horse, and not a zebra.  Referral to the ED made sense if he was felt to require significant rehydration.

Diagnosing streptococcal sepsis at this stage would have been hard, and the far more likely diagnosis was presumed.  But, the appearance of the arm was suspicious.  Usually, people with such wounds are covered with antibiotics if the wounds require suturing, or if not sutured, coverage might be prescribed if any redness or surrounding cellulitis is seen.

In cases such as this, it usually takes more than one missed opportunity to have the outcome turn tragic.

At the ED, reports describe difficulty standing and walking, fever, and a pulse of 140.  That sounds fairly ill to me.  On the discussion boards, Emergency specialists sparred with surgeons over whether this is a typical appearance commonly seen with dehydrated kids.  I have to side with my surgeon-colleagues who said that it should have been apparent that something was really wrong with the young man.

The most concerning thing about the ED visit was the discharge without checking the blood work.  Rory had a significantly elevated white count with a major left shift.  That strongly suggests a systemic infection.  It is this point for me that is the most concerning, and one that deserves more scrutiny.  Were the labs forgotten?  Was it presumed that they were probably normal and therefore not an issue? Did someone read the wrong lab report?

The public expects a medical system incapable of error or untoward outcome.   But before blame is assigned, questions need to be answered.

Was this a system problem or an individual problem?  How busy was the pediatrician’s office?  Were they distracted by the non-medical minutiae required to practice medicine today?  Was the ED awash in non-emergent cases and understaffed?  Did the report get lost or mislabeled?

Cases such as this tend to result in calls for more rules, more scripted procedures, and more ways to try to perfect an imperfect system.  But sometimes the answer is not to add complexity to the process of undertaking a clinical encounter, but to simplify it.  In this case, just be sure to take a look at the big picture, and don’t forget to check the labs.

And sometimes the hoofbeats really are from a zebra.

Related articles
  • Gym class cut leads to deadly sepsis in boy, 12 (todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com)
  • After Rory Staunton’s Death, Hospital Alters Discharge Procedures (nytimes.com)

 

TAGGED:streptococcus
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025
a woman giving a key
How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
Health
July 16, 2025
a woman with kinesio tapes on her back arm
How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

mhealth
Medical EducationMedical RecordsMobile HealthNewsSocial Media

Daniel Kraft: Health Media for the Future

March 1, 2013
BusinessMedical InnovationsNewsTechnologyWellness

Clinton Applauds Carter Kostler (Age 14) at Health Matters Conference

February 4, 2013
Hospital AdministrationMedical EducationMedical InnovationsNewsSocial MediaTechnology

The Insider’s Guide to Nurses and the Internet

November 11, 2011
Dementia
NewsUncategorized

A Guide to Dealing with Dementia

January 28, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?