Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. Almost any infection can lead to sepsis. However, lung infections are among the most common causes. As the most severe form of sepsis, septic shock can cause a variety of life-threatening complications. In Leticia’s case, they included acute respiratory distress and acute kidney injury. She had to be intubated and placed in an induced coma for 16 days, and was on hemodialysis for three weeks. While she was in the ICU, she couldn't walk and couldn't move her arms. She was very dependent, and felt very lonely and depressed.

After 27 days in the ICU, Leticia was transferred to the general ward, where continuous presence of her family helped her feel better. Unluckily, she contracted another pneumonia, with pleural effusion, which necessitated a chest drain. It was only after 36 more days in hospital that she was finally able to go home. Until another pneumonia, six months later, sent her back to the hospital for six days.

Leticia’s health greatly improved after that. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, it came as a cause of great anxiety and depression for her, as she was afraid that the same story might start again. Another challenge was the impact of her experience on her professional life: « As a physical therapist, I used to work in the hospital before sepsis. After sepsis, it stopped being a nice place for me to work in. »

To raise awareness on sepsis, and help improve sepsis care in Brazil and Latin America, Leticia Batista is now working as a volunteer with ILAS, the Latin American Sepsis Institute. « Many people die of sepsis, but their relatives aren’t aware of it, they only know about the infection, » said Leticia. « When I tell people that I had sepsis, I have to explain what it is. And when I tell them that sepsis kills so many people, they are impressed. They think that it's a rare condition, but it's not, it's very common actually. We need to talk more about sepsis to change the paradigm. ».

Leticia knows that she was lucky to be diagnosed with sepsis in the first hours after her admission. « That saved my life, » she said.  « Too many people die because of the lack of information about sepsis, even among health professionals. They go to the hospital and are sent back home. » As an active patient advocate, she wishes for all patients to have what she had, that is early diagnosis and effective treatment, but she also underlines the need to give more attention to sepsis survivors. « Because sepsis doesn't stop at the hospital, there are sequelae. Changes need to be made to give these patients their lives back ».

Today, 1 in 5 deaths worldwide is associated with sepsis. Until a cure is found, early detection and treatment are essential for survival and to limit disability caused by sepsis to survivors. Although the management of sepsis patients has evolved, there is still a long way to go.