Flesh-eating bacteria devoured mum's body tissues after C-section

Two days after her C-section, doctors discovered a deadly, flesh-eating bacteria had infected the the mum's inner muscles.

Recently, a pregnant mum suffered a prolapse – meaning her organs dropped towards her vagina. Doctors were afraid that her baby would be at risk of an infection from the bacteria from her organs, if she went through with a vaginal birth. So they performed an emergency C-section on her. However, little did the mum know she would that there were signs of infection after C section, and that she would almost die.

Apparently, she had been infected by a flesh-eating bacteria — with nightmarish consequences.

How did this happen? Should mums worry about this infection?

Signs of infection after C Section: Flesh-eating bacteria literally devoured the mum’s stomach

Signs of infection after c section: Ashley Thompson, a mum-of-three, lying in an induced coma for six days in 2014 after doctors cut out the rotting flesh. | Image Source: Dailymail screengrab

According to Ashley, she did not get to bring her newborn home. Her newborn baby boy had breathing difficulties and doctors immediately brought him over to the hospital’s NICU for treatment. Instead, Ashley returned home with her husband to recover from her C-section.

However, tragedy struck a few days after she gave birth. The mum experienced excruciating pain in her stomach, which she at first thought was nothing serious.

But after going to the doctor to check just in case, a CT-scan revealed something horrifying: the mum had a condition called necrotising fasciitis caused by flesh-eating bacteria.

Everything happened in a flash after that…

Apparently, the bacteria had eaten through the muscle layers between her skin and organs. To prevent the infection from spreading even further, doctors opted to operate on her immediately. They knew it was a race against time – she would not be alive if they hadn’t.

The risk of death was so real that doctors didn’t even have time to anesthesise the mum prior to the surgery.

In the operation, surgeons had to cut open Ashley’s C-Section stitches and cut off the rotting muscles. Her body had deteriorated so badly that some of the medical staff couldn’t stand the smell and had to leave the operating room.

It was after the surgery that the doctors put Ashley in an induced coma so that her body could recover from the trauma.

When Ashley woke up, she couldn’t immediately recognise her husband, Eric. She didn’t even know she had gone through a C-Section.

Thankfully, she remembered after a week and was up to speed. The mum also managed to recover from the severe infection.

However, due to the severity of the infection, even four years after her surgery, Ashley still suffers from abdominal pain due to her illness. She can’t continue her career as a nurse. The mum even struggles to remain standing for long periods of time due to her swollen stomach and pain from scarred tissues during the surgery.

But more importantly, she still cared for her newborn baby, Jude, now aged four. After both had survived the nightmarish ordeal, Ashley says that they are able to bond closely because of such trialing times.

What are the signs of infection after C section?

A C-section can also come with certain complications, so do watch out for the signs of infection after C section, mums! | Image Source: Stock Photo

Generally, modern medicine and hygiene practices make it unlikely for mums to get an infection after a C-section. Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.

Mums, do note that C-section surgeries might come with complications. However, doctors will generally strive to prevent or avoid them.

Do you know what the possible causes of an infection after a C-section, mums? Here are some possible causes:

Severe Blood loss.
A prolonged operation.
Not being provided antibiotics or care before the surgery.
Not going for prenatal checkups.
Having amniotic fluid that was previously infected already.
Existing conditions like diabetes, HIV, or obesity

Here are some signs of infection after C section as well as possible complications:

Swollen body parts and a sore throat.
Severe pain in the abdominal or stomach area.
A surgical wound secreting pus.
Experiencing a high fever.
Having painful while urinating.
Serious vaginal bleeding.
Swollen legs.
Loose vaginal discharge.

Mums, should you ever see these signs of infection after C Section, please consult a medical professional immediately. They will be able to accurately diagnose the condition and provide proper medical advice.

We hope that this article on the signs of infection after C section has been informative, mums. This article was originally written by Jan Alwyn Batara in Tagalog and was translated to English by Kevin Wijaya Oey.

Published with the permission of theAsianparent Phillipines.

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Reference: Daily Mail