Sepsis is a Fatal Condition that Requires Treatment, Yet Jails in Texas Seem to Routinely Deny Needed Care
People sometimes end up serving brief jail sentences for minor, non-violent crimes. Many spend months and months in jail while awaiting a trial to prove their innocence for charges filed against them. Of course, many people are in jails and prisons because they were found guilty of or admitted to breaking the law. No matter which scenario lands a person under the custody of jail staff in a county jail or prison, the inmates have a right to survive illnesses they may suffer from during their stay. If jails neglect the medical needs of inmates, the results can be fatal. Sepsis in particular is a medical condition in which a person has a hyper-reactive immune system response to a bacterial infection. When medical treatment is not provided, the person can develop septic shock, which limits blood flow in the body and leads to organ failure and death.
Anyone who has a compromised immune system can be susceptible to sepsis. If an inmate is denied the needed treatment of antibiotics, fluids, and medicines, he or she is at risk of death. Jail staff should be trained in basics related to recognizing potentially deadly conditions, so that inmates aren’t subject to dying while incarcerated.
The following are among the symptoms of sepsis:
- Sweaty or clammy skin
- Disorientation or confusion
- Rapid breathing
- Fever, shivering, or chills
- Shaking
- Extreme discomfort or pain
- High heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Decreased urine output
Many jail records, such as in Harris County, Texas, reveal that custodial deaths have resulted from various treatable infections, such as sepsis, swine flu, bacterial meningitis, and pancreatitis. Inmates have a right to receive medical treatment, particularly in life-or-death situations. Jail protocols in many county jails in Texas seem to need major revisions, so that inmates receive medical treatments, as needed.
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–Guest Contributor
smchugh
smchugh