My cracked tooth led to a deadly brain condition after becoming infected... here's the symptom that diagnosed me
Graham Bell, a 61-year-old father-of-two from the UK, was preparing for a day trip with his wife, Sue, in March when he came down with a severe headache.
Sue also noticed her husband's face 'had fallen to one side,' which is usually a sign of a stroke.
However, after being rushed to the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, doctors found a one-inch mass in Graham's brain called an abscess.
Graham underwent 'life-saving brain surgery' to drain the abscess, a growth that forms from pus and other materials in the brain.
Abscesses swell and put pressure on the brain, which damages cells and restricts blood flow, eventually killing off brain tissue.
Doctors believe the growth was caused by a crack in one of Graham's teeth that had become infected.
He said in a hospital news release: 'It was bizarre because I had no pain or swelling in my mouth to tell me there was something wrong.'
About 1,500 to 2,500 Americans suffer brain abscesses every year, and around 10 to 30 percent die from the condition. Estimates vary for the UK but range from 200 to 900 cases per year with a similar mortality rate.
Bacteria from tooth infections are thought to travel from the infected tooth through the bloodstream, reaching the brain through the sinuses. Pus, which forms from infected tissues, then develops into an abscess.
Sue said by the time Graham got to the hospital, his condition 'had deteriorated greatly.'
'The ambulance brought us to The Walton Centre, and once there I knew it was serious,' she said.
'Graham was prepped for surgery right away. The team was so professional, but it was obvious that speed was of the essence.'
Surgery to drain the abscess was a success, and Graham's condition gradually began to improve over the coming days.
He said: 'It was a lot of information to take in a short time. I had the family around me, but I think we were all in a bit of shock. I was not well, so finding out what was going on quickly was key for all of us.'
However, his symptoms returned a few days after surgery, with doctors realizing Graham was suffering from sepsis.
Sepsis is the immune system's extreme reaction to an infection that causes the body to attack vital organs. It's been dubbed a 'silent killer' in the US, taking 350,000 lives each year or one every 90 seconds.
It's usually treated with antibiotics for the underlying infection and medications called vasopressors, which divert blood flow back to vital organs.
However, this takes blood from 'non-vital' areas like limbs, increasing the risk of tissue death and amputations.
Graham was rushed to the operating room for a second time to drain the abscess again.
He spent six weeks recovering, though scar tissue in the brain from the infection has left him with some communication and movement delays.
Sue said: 'He still has issues with communicating and moving around, but we're following the therapy and on our way to getting back to as close to normal as possible.'
Graham's two children, Rob and Aimee, raised about $4,200 for The Walton Centre Charity with a sponsored walk after being inspired by their father's treatment.
Sue said: 'The hospital saved his life. For that there is nothing we can do to thank them enough!
'But as a family we can raise some money and give something back to support the outstanding care they give to patients every day.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
NHS issues vaccination warning for pregnant women over dangerous virus currently surging in Australia
Expectant mothers and people over 75 are being urged to get vaccinated against a potentially deadly virus following a record number of cases in Australia. Health chiefs say the Australian winter often predicts how viruses will spread in the UK, and already this year cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have steadily risen in many areas. The virus, which is a common cause of coughs and colds, may also cause a chest infection called bronchiolitis. Some people have a high risk of becoming seriously ill with it, including babies and adults over 75. According to NHS England, RSV is a leading cause of infant deaths worldwide and a main cause of children being taken into hospital. Last winter, almost 7,000 bed days in England were taken up by children with RSV. NHS England is encouraging pregnant women to get a jab that protects against RSV so their babies are protected after birth. Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for NHS England, said: 'While for most adults RSV only causes mild, cold-like symptoms, for older adults and young children it can lead to serious breathing problems that can end up in hospitalisation. 'Getting vaccinated while pregnant is the best way to protect your baby from the moment they are born, and now is the time for mums to act, to make sure their babies are protected ahead of their first few months this winter, when there tends to be more bugs circulating.' Yusra Osman says that when her son, Zakariya, was three months old, he developed bronchiolitis from the virus. He had a fever and was gasping for breath. The 34-year-old, from north London, said: 'Everything was a blur, but I remember his chest was caving in and out and he was really struggling to catch his breath.' Nurses found her son's oxygen levels were dangerously low. Ms Osman, a student midwife, said: 'That was one of those things you don't want to hear as a mum. He was crying, and we kept trying to put an oxygen mask on, but he was fighting to get it off and didn't want to be touched.' Zakariya, who is now seven, needed oxygen and a feeding tube in hospital. 'It's a mum's worst nightmare. Had the RSV vaccine been available then, I'd definitely have had it,' Ms Osman said. The RSV vaccine was offered to pregnant women in England for the first time last September and health officials say it has since helped to protect more than 300,000 mothers and babies. Pregnant mothers from 28 weeks onwards are eligible, as are adults aged 75 to 79. In the coming weeks, NHS England is set to invite more than a million people to have a jab, before the season for infections, which starts in October. Greta Hayward, consultant midwife at the UK Health Security Agency, said babies born in late summer or the autumn are most likely to be admitted to hospital with the virus. 'Hundreds of babies attend emergency departments each day for bronchiolitis through most of November and December,' she said.
The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Nostalgia and selective memory are clouding judgment on doctors' strikes
I write in response to Prof David Cameron (Letters, 28 July). I also trained as a doctor during the 80s and early 90s and experienced the long working hours of that time. It is easy to fall into the trap of nostalgia and selective memory as we become older and detached from the frontline. I was looked after by the hospitals in which I worked, which were less managed than they are today. I worked in a close team, led by a consultant to whom I was responsible, and who was responsible for me. I spoke to no managers. I was provided accommodation, hot food day and night, and other privileges. I speak to many young doctors in my current workplace and see the conditions in which they work. They are isolated and harassed by managers, who are in turn harassed by a target-driven culture. Their training is politicised and diluted by the physician assistant programme. They cannot get hot food after 4pm or at weekends, they pay for parking, they are ripped off by hospital accommodation services and see their pay eroded by below-inflation awards over many years. Small wonder they are angry. Pay is the quickest way by which they can obtain some redress for the deterioration in working conditions which they have Robin HollandsConsultant, Shrewsbury As a foundation year 1 (FY1) doctor who has nearly completed my first year of medical training, I have been deeply disheartened by the discourse around the resident doctor strikes. The British Medical Association (BMA) has failed to properly advocate for changes that will improve the working lives of doctors and the media has unsurprisingly been intensely critical of the BMA's current objectives. It was exceptionally generous for the government to provide us with a 22% pay rise last year, but the BMA's current demands for a further 29% are totally unrealistic and appear tone deaf to the many other public sector workers who have received much less. It is therefore not surprising that many media outlets have agreed that we are 'greedy'. Despite this, I believe the strikes are a representation of a much deeper dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs for resident doctors and this needs to be addressed. Resident doctors across the country are often working extensive hours on understaffed, dysfunctional hospital wards, with now ever-diminishing prospects of career progression. The latest BMA figures that 52% of FY2 doctors have no secure employment from August is deeply shocking and is a failure of the system that may threaten the future of the NHS. It is time that both the BMA and the government woke up to the reality that there will be a severe doctor unemployment crisis unless urgent action is taken. This is the real problem that needs to be addressed. Pay restoration should absolutely remain a long-term goal, but there is little point improving my current resident doctor salary if there are no future pathways for resident doctors in the Will GiffinSheffield Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
GPs warned using AI to record patient notes can lead to dangerous inaccuracies
GPs have been warned to look out for 'inaccurate or fabricated' information when using AI to write their medical notes. Family doctors are increasingly using tools that listen to their consultations with patients and automatically add summaries to their records. But the Royal College of GPs has warned AI can misinterpret the nuance of conversations, with potential dangerous consequences. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also says there is a 'risk of hallucination which users should be aware of, and manufacturers should actively seek to minimise and mitigate the potential harms of their occurrence'. The safety watchdog is now urging GPs to report issues with AI scribes through its Yellow Card Scheme, which is typically used to report adverse reactions to medicines. This should include 'suspected inaccuracies', trade publication GP Online reports. The British Medical Association's GP Committee said earlier this year that 'the adoption of passive scribes in general practice has gathered significant pace', with practices using standalone systems or tools rolled out with other common software. Dr Phil Whitaker, a UK GP who recently moved to Canada, wrote in the New Statesman that an AI tool he used was 'not to be trusted'. He said it misinterpreted conversations with patients who asked him about his move from the UK - and recorded notes suggesting patients had recently moved to Canada instead. He added: 'I've caught it recording findings of examinations I haven't performed and detailing advice I haven't given. 'The company that makes it advises users to check its output carefully. 'For me, the time spent reading and editing outweighs any productivity gains.' And an article published by Fortune last month outlined a case in which 'a patient in London was mistakenly invited to a diabetic screening after an AI-generated medical record falsely claimed he had diabetes and suspected heart disease'. However, despite this growing use of AI and the recognition of potential problems, the MHRA said a search of its database revealed 'no adverse incident reports related to the use of AI scribes'. The government's 10-Year Health Plan says it intends to 'accelerate the adoption and spread of AI technology, such as AI scribes, by streamlining AI regulation'. A new national procurement platform will be set up next year to support GP practices and NHS trusts to adopt new technology safely. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the RCGP, said: 'AI has enormous potential for transforming the future of our health and patient care. Fewer than one in three Britons are comfortable with the prospect of using new AI features in the NHS App to diagnose their issues, a poll reveals. Health secretary Wes Streeting announced plans to revamp the app as part of Labour's 10-Year Health Plan so every patient could have a 'doctor in their pocket'. But a new survey found 44 per of the public are 'uncomfortable' with trusting the diagnosis and management of their conditions to artificial intelligence, with this figure rising to 60 per cent among pensioners. Only 31 per cent of the 2,030 respondents to the Savanta poll, for the Liberal Democrats, said they are 'comfortable' with the idea. Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat's health spokesperson, praised Labour for tackling bureaucracy but added: 'Making the NHS more efficient is of course welcome but it cannot come at the cost of leaving people behind as they try to grapple with digitised services rather than a real life doctor. 'Ministers need to allay these fears by offering support to those who are not digitally literate and older people to ensure that these sweeping changes benefit everyone.' Speaking at the Plan's launch last month, Mr Streeting said: 'The NHS App will become a doctor in your pocket, bringing our health service into the 21st century.' It will use patients' medical records and artificial intelligence to provide instant answers to users' questions and direct them to the best place for care. Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for elderly Britons, said at the time 'Elderly people will be sceptical about whether the plan will be delivered and concerned that greater reliance on the app could exclude them from accessing timely care. 'For some, the doctor in their pocket will be padlocked.' 'However, its use is not without risks and so its implementation in general practice must be closely regulated to guarantee patient safety and the security of their data. 'GPs are always open to introducing new technologies that can improve the experience of patients and help cut the administrative burden, and an increasing number of GP practices are now using AI scribing tools to improve the quality and efficiency of their consultations. 'While these tools can offer real benefits, particularly at a time of significant GP workforce pressures, there are some important concerns - particularly around data security of sensitive patient records, data controllership and the risk of inaccuracies. 'We are aware that AI scribes can produce inaccurate or fabricated details, and that they can also misinterpret the nuance of conversations. 'It is important that clinicians review AI-generated documentation for accuracy before adding it to the patient record.' The MHRA said: 'The MHRA is aware of this potential issue in AI enabled tools generally and this includes AI scribe tools. 'We recommend that GPs and healthcare professionals only use tools which are registered medical devices which have been determined to meet the required standards of performance and safety. 'Recently published MHRA guidance clarifies how these technologies qualify as medical devices and while this is specific to digital mental health, the principles apply across digital health applications. 'While not published by the MHRA, NHS England guidance encourages the use only of registered medical devices when used in a clinical context. 'We strongly encourage that all suspected adverse incidents, including suspected inaccuracies are reported to the MHRA via the yellow card scheme.' The watchdog said the yellow card scheme website had been updated to include 'a standalone page for software and AI as medical device'. Earlier this year, the BMA advised practices to pause use of AI scribes until they had carried out data protection and safety checks and sought assurances that the products meet NHS standards.
