Back to school warning as girl, 4, nearly died when new school shoes triggered sepsis
Sienna Rasul picked up the deadly condition while trying on different sized shoes in her bare feet
A MUM has warned other parents after her four-year-old daughter nearly died when her new school shoes triggered sepsis.
Jodie Thomas had taken little Sienna Rasul to the shops to try on shoes - but as it was summer she was wearing sandals without socks.
Within hours of trying on different pairs last August, the youngster, of Aberfan, South Wales, fell dangerously ill.
Just a day later she was fighting for her life in hospital after developing deadly sepsis.
Doctors believe she may have picked up the infection from bacteria in the shoes.
It can enter the body through an open wound so medics suspect she may have had a cut, graze or bite on her foot at the time.
Sienna spent five days in hospital on a drip with Jodie, a hotel worker, by her side.
Speaking last year, the mum-of-three said: “I was really shocked when the doctors said it was from trying on new shoes.
“Normally she would have socks on but it’s summertime so she was wearing sandals.
“The shoes she liked had been tried on by other little girls and that’s how Sienna picked up the infection.”
I knew you risk getting things like athlete's foot from trying on shoes but blood poisoning is far more serious
Jodie Thomas
Jodie, 27, took Sienna to the doctors when she started crying in agony the day after the shopping trip.
The doctor spotted the infection and used a pen to draw a line around where it had spread.
The mum said: “By the next day it had spread up her leg and her temperature was raging.
“I drove her straight into hospital, she was shaking and twitching - it was horrible to see my little girl like that.
“They said it was sepsis and thought they would have to operate.
“But the doctors have managed to drain all the pus from her leg and say the antibiotic drip will do the job.”
Symptoms of sepsis
Sepsis, or blood poisoning, is a serious complication of an infection, and claims 50,000 lives in Britain each year.
Thousands more who survive the illness are left with disabilities and life-changing consequences.
It's important to know the symptoms to look out for.
The early symptoms can include a high temperature, shivering, a fast heartbeat, changes to your breathing or feeling different to normal.
In more severe cases, blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level and according to the , further symptoms can include:
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- A change in mental state, such as confusion or disorientation
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Severe muscle pain
- Severe breathlessness
- Less urine production than normal – for example, not urinating for a day
- Cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin
- Loss of consciousness
It's also vital to know the signs to look out for in children - as up to 4,000 under-fives die every year from the condition.
Go straight to A&;E or call 999 if your child has any of these symptoms:
- Looks mottled, bluish or pale
- Very lethargic or difficult to wake
- Feels abnormally cold to touch
- Breathing is very fast
- A rash that does not
Jodie urged parents to make sure their children have socks on when they are trying on shoes.
“I knew you risk getting things like athlete's foot from trying on shoes but blood poisoning is far more serious,” she said.
“You don't know whose feet have been in the shoes before you.
“With mums and dads doing back-to-school shopping I would advise them to take a spare pair of socks with them.”
Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust said: “This frightening case shows us that sepsis strikes indiscriminately and can affect anyone at any time.”
MORE ON SEPSIS
Dr Daniels said it was likely Sienna already had a "breach" in her skin, either a graze or a bite.
“Whenever there are signs of infection, it’s crucial that members of the public seek medical attention urgently and just ask: "Could it be sepsis?,” he added.
“Better awareness could save thousands of lives every year.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours