A 75-year-old retiree, Daniel, living in Hérault, died of a generalized infection. The latter began following an ingrown toenail. According to his wife, the man did not receive appropriate care.
Staphylococcus contamination confirmed
On August 30, 2024, Daniel suffered from an ingrown toenail. He goes to his pedicure and comes out tired from his appointment. Still suffering from significant pain and pronounced fatigue in the days that followed, he felt unwell. The firefighters who intervened did not spot any infection. His GP will then prescribe him antibiotics. The infection will be confirmed by a blood test: the man carries staphylococcus.
The man dies within ten days
Unfortunately, the man’s condition deteriorated quickly: his wife then called the emergency services, who took two hours to transfer the man from his home to Saint-Clair hospital in Sète. During this journey, Daniel suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. on September 11.”I owe it to my husband that responsibilities be established, and if there was a fault, that those who committed them be punished.” confided Annie, his widow, to our colleagues at Free Midday. She filed a complaint and the Montpellier public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation.
How can we explain the sepsis from which he suffered?
Sepsis, also called sepsis, is an infection caused by “a common bacteria that can colonize the skin or nose, without necessarily causing disease” recalls the Pasteur Institute. “However, if it enters the body through a cut, scrape or other skin injury, it can cause an infection. Infections can become serious if the bacteria invade deeper tissues or enter the bloodstream.”.
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical, completes this definition. “Sepsis then creates edema and generalized vasodilation,” he explains. “To maintain a certain blood pressure, we use vasoconstrictor drugs which concentrate the blood towards the vital organs.” In Daniel’s case, a heart attack ultimately proved fatal. The autopsy requested by the Montpellier public prosecutor’s office will probably provide other more precise elements on the exact circumstances of his death.