Quick-thinking Katherine Hospital team saves 3-month-old boy from a life-threatening case
'We were so close to losing him': Katherine team praised for rapid sepsis response
The swift, life-saving actions of the Katherine Hospital Emergency Department team have saved a 3-month-old boy who arrived with a life-threatening case of bacterial sepsis.
Thanks to the team's immediate recognition of the symptoms, Dusty was stabilised and transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) for specialist care. He has since made a full recovery.
His mother, Tayla, said the family is forever grateful, acknowledging the outcome could have been tragically different. "The doctors in both Katherine and Darwin explained we were so close to losing our baby," she said.
From smiles to silence in under 3 hours
The illness developed with alarming speed. Tayla described Dusty as a happy, smiling baby just hours before he fell critically ill.
"He had been smiling and talking to us on the couch between 4:30 and 5:00 pm like normal," Tayla said.
By 7:00 pm, Dusty was uncharacteristically sleepy, had no interest in feeding, and his temperature had spiked to 38.6°C.
Trusting their instincts, Tayla and her husband rushed him to the hospital. "Something in my body just said go now," she recalled.
Calm urgency and compassionate care
Upon arrival at Katherine Hospital, Tayla said she initially felt "silly bringing a baby up for just a temp," but the team immediately recognised the urgency.
"Everyone was silent and busy running tests, taking blood… I could feel the urgency in everyone but still wasn't sure what was happening yet," Tayla said.
She described a pivotal moment of compassionate communication amidst the quiet efficiency.
"The doctor came over to the side of the bed, knelt down, and explained what was happening with our Dusty. He said when we arrived, Dusty was very, very sick with sepsis."
Nurses explained that an infection was causing his organs to begin shutting down. Within 20 minutes, he was being prepared for an emergency flight to RDH.
There, tests confirmed Dusty had bacterial GBS sepsis. He spent the next 10 days at RDH receiving 24-hour intravenous antibiotics and undergoing numerous procedures, including a lumbar puncture.
Today, Dusty is back home with his family, his infectious smile returned.
His mother, however, wants their experience to serve as a critical warning.
"Don't wait, even if it's a massive inconvenience or you feel silly going up for 'just a temp'," she urged.
She wants other parents to know the key signs to watch for: lethargy, refusal to feed, high fevers, and behaviour that is not normal for their child.
While her family is still coming to terms with the "whirlwind fortnight", Tayla said they are simply grateful. "We are just so grateful our family is back together and healthy."
More information about sepsis, including translated brochures, video testimonials and the latest global data can also be accessed via the NT Health Sepsis webpage.
